Tabari Volume 12
Tabari Volume 12
History of al-Tabari
The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
and the Conquest of
Syria and Palestine
V IVII IMI I I V I I^
9 780791 4073491
VOLUME XII
e
The History of al-Tabari
Editorial Board
Ihsan Abbas, University of Jordan, Amman
C. E. Bosworth, The University of Manchester
Franz Rosenthal, Yale University
Everett K . Rowson , The University of Pennsylvania
Ehsan Yar-Shater, Columbia University (General Editor)
Estelle Whelan, Editorial Coordinator
SUNY
SERIES IN NEAR EASTERN STUDIES
Bibliotheca Persica
Edited by Ehsan Yar-Shater
by
Yohanan Friedmann
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
1992. State University of New York
90-1032.6
CIP
For
e
Preface
THE HISTORY OF PROPHETS AND KINGS (Ta'rikh al-rusul wa'1-muluk) by Abu Ja`far Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari ( 839 923), here rendered as The History of al-Tabari, is by common consent the most
important universal history produced in the world of Islam. It has
been translated here in its entirety for the first time for the benefit
of non-Arabists, with historical and philological notes for those interested in the particulars of the text.
Al-Tabari 's monumental work explores the history of the ancient
nations, with special emphasis on biblical peoples and prophets, the
legendary and factual history of ancient Iran , and, in great detail, the
rise of Islam, the life of the Prophet Muhammad , and the history of
the Islamic world down to the year 9 r S. The first volume of this
translation contains a biography of al-Tabari and a discussion of the
method, scope, and value of his work. It also provides information
on some of the technical considerations that have guided the work
of the translators.
The History has been divided here into 39 volumes, each of which
covers about two hundred pages of the original Arabic text in the
Leiden edition . An attempt has been made to draw the dividing lines
between the individual volumes in such a way that each is to some
degree independent and can be read as such. The page numbers of
the Leiden edition appear on the margins of the translated volumes.
Al-Tabari very often quotes his sources verbatim and traces the
chain of transmission (isndd) to an original source . The chains of
transmitters are, for the sake of brevity, rendered by only a dash (-)
between the individual links in the chain . Thus, "According to Ibn
viii Preface
Humayd- Salamah - Ibn Ishaq" means that al-Tabari received the
report from Ibn Humayd , who said that he was told by Salamah, who
said that he was told by Ibn Ishaq and so on. The numerous subtle
and important differences in the original Arabic wording have been
disregarded.
Ehsan Yar-Shater
16
Contents
Preface / vii
Abbreviations / xi
Manslator's Foreword / xiii
x Contents
The Conquest of Baysan and the Battle of Ajnadayn / r 8 5
The Conquest of Jerusalem / 189
The Introduction of the Pay System (`ala') and of the Military
Register (diwan) / r 99
Bibliography of Cited Works / Zo9
Index / 2.17
e
Abbreviations
11 anslator's Foreword*
40
I
Most of the present volume, which describes a part of `Umar b. alKhattab's reign, deals with the battle of al-Qadisiyyah, in which the
Muslims decisively defeated the Persians . This victory heralded the
downfall of the Sasanian dynasty, paved the way for the conquest of
Iraq, and facilitated Islamic expansion into Persia and beyond. AlQadisiyyah is located to the southwest of the ancient city of alH'irah, on the border between the fertile Iraqi lowlands (al-sawdd(
and the Arabian desert. Tabari 's text (which records the accounts of
Ibn Islaq, al-Wagidi, and predominantly that of Sayf b. `Umar),'
confronts the reader with manifold historical problems . Even such a
basic question as the date of the battle is not easily solved : Tabari's
sources give the date as 14 , 15, or x6 1635-37.2 Many of the places
through which the troops moved on their way to the battlefield and
in which the skirmishes occurred cannot be identified with sufficient precision, and it is therefore impossible to elucidate many tactical aspects of the battle.3 The size of the armies involved in the
fighting presents another baffling problem : The data for the Sasanian army vary between 30,000 and z1o,000; in the early sources, the
Muslims are said to have numbered between 6,000 and it z,ooo, but
'Unless otherwise specified, all r femices in the introduction are to Tabui, Th'rikh, I.
r. But not of `Awiinah b. al-l lakam, as suggested by L. Veccia Vaglieri in her article
"al-gidisiyya" in EP. For recent evaluations of Sayf as a historian, see A. Duri, Historical Wilting, index, and Ella Landau-Tasseran, "Sayf Ibn `Umar."
2. See PP. 2377, 2349; cf. EP, "al-gidisiyya," 386a-b.
3. Cf. Donner, Conquests, 204.
'Translator's Foreword xv
tations to the troops that the exploits performed by the Muslims in
the impending battle will be related in festivals forever and ever."
We may mention the harrowing story of a Muslim who, though disemboweled, continued to fight until his death; 12 the poem in which
a warrior who lost his leg enjoins himself to endure and not let the
lost leg divert his attention from the battle; 13 and the poem in which
the hero pledges to continue using his hand in combat, though three
of its fingers have just been cut Off. 14 The heroism and military
prowess of certain Muslims seem all the more impressive when
their indomitable deeds are related and extolled by their captured
enemies.15
Considerable space is devoted by Tabari to the encounters between the Persian leaders and several Muslim delegations and individuals who were either invited to the Persian court to negotiate a
solution to the conflict or sent by `Umar in order to invite the king
to embrace Islam . In these discussions, said to have been held at the
royal court or at Rustam 's military headquarters, there are several
recurrent themes. The Persians treat the Muslims with contempt,
speak derisively about their weapons , expatiate on their poverty and
primitive way of life, and assert that they do not have the military
might required to take on such an empire as that of the Persians.16
Anachronistic echoes of Shucubi arguments can clearly be discerned
in the speeches said to have been addressed to the successive Muslim delegations . The Persians also threaten the Muslims with death
and destruction if they seek to accomplish their goals by military
means. 17 At the same time, Yazdagird and Rustarn make repeated attempts to dissuade the Muslims from embarking on such a course
by promises of material gain if they will desist from their warlike
intentions .18 Their arguments are supported by an ostentatious display of luxury and abundance at the court.19
The most noticeable feature of the Muslim response to this arro11. Seep. 2294, above; cf. p. 2293 , above.
12. Seep. 23 to.
13. See pp. 2328-29.
14. Seep. 241o.
xviii
'Iianslator's Foreword
was final: No Byzantine would return to Syria until the end of days,
except in fear.-16 Parallel to the case of al-Qadisiyyah, Tabari's text
reflects a sharp perception of the historical significance of these
events for the expansion and durability of Islam.37
A chapter of special interest deals with the surrender of Jerusalem
to `Umar b. al-Khattib.311 The problem of `Umar's visit to Jerusalem
and of its historicity has been extensively discussed in two recent
articles by H. Busse39 and cannot be taken up here . Suffice it to say
that in Tabari's text `Umar's conquest of the city is predicted by a
Jew, yet one of the most important actions ascribed to `Umar during
his visit to the city reflects the disengagement of Islam from Judaism; The Muslims are enjoined to pray in the direction of Mecca
alone, and the veneration of the Rock is prohibited. Fulfilling another prediction, Umar cleans the rubbish with which the Byzantines are said to have covered the Temple after its destruction. In this
way he restores the Temple Mount to its purity and at the same time
transforms it into a sanctuary of Islam .- The Islamization of Jerusalem has to be considered in conjunction with other developments
in Islamic ritual that had similar significance . The change of the
qiblah from Jerusalem to Mecca41 and the abolition of the obligatory
fast of the tenth of Muharram, which had been established after the
hijrah in imitation of the Jewish Day of Atonement,42 have to be
considered in this context.
IV
Some of the most important material included in this volume deals
with various matters of an economic and legal nature . The conquest
of the fertile lowlands of Iraq ( al-sawdd) raised the question of the
legal status of the land and its inhabitants . The issue was complicated by the fact that the conquest of the area was effected in two
stages . The early campaigns of Khalid b . al-Walid - the so-called
36. Seep. 2396.
37. For the great importance ascribed by the Arabs to the battle of al-Qadisiyyah,
seep. 2364.
38. See pp. 1403-9.
39. "`Omar b . al-Khattab"; "`Omar 's Image ."
40. For a critical interpretation of this episode , see Crone and Cook , Hagarism,
5-6.
4r. See pp. 12-79 - 81; EP, s.v "Kibla" i. IA. J. Wensinck).
4z. See p . 12.8 x ; En, s.v. "`Ashura"' I IA. J. Wensinck).
xx Translator's Foreword
the sawad did not have a treaty. But when the poll tax was levied on
them, [ipso facto] a treaty with them came into being" (lam yakun
li-ahl al-sawad `ahd fa-lamma ukhidhat minhum al-jizyah $dra
lahum `ahd).48 `Umar resisted the demands made by some prominent Muslims-Bilal b. Rabih, the mu'adhdhin of the Prophet, and
al-Zubayr b. al `Awwam are mentioned among them-to divide the
land conquered by force among the warriors. He preferred that the
original inhabitants retain possession of the land, so that the taxes
imposed upon them would serve as a perennial source of income for
the Muslim community.49 Only the property of the royal family and
of its active supporters and some areas in public use (such as the
properties of the Zoroastrian fire temples) became fay', "solid
booty," and were to be divided among the Muslims. It was, however,
impractical to put this division into effect because the areas in question were scattered over the entire sawad. They were therefore administered collectively on behalf of those who were entitled to
shares in them ( ahl al-fay').5
These were, in broad terms, the economic and legal arrangements
that are said to have been concluded with the original population of
the conquered Iraqi lowlands. " Tabari 's historical tradition speaks
also about the economic arrangements made within the Muslim
community. These are subsumed under the heading of the pay system ("ata') and the military register (diwan).52 Seniority in Islam
was in most instances the criterion according to which the amount
of pay was determined. Those who embraced Islam early enough to
participate in the battle of Badr in z/614 received five thousand dirhams. Those who joined the Prophet between Badr and al-Hudaybiyyah (6/6z8) received four thousand each. With each successive
stage of conversion the amount decreased: The lowest payment was
determined for those who joined Islam and the Muslim army at various times after the battles of Yarmuk and al-Qadisiyyah. Muslims
who acquitted themselves exceptionally well (ahl al-bala') received
48. Ibn Sallam, Amwdl, 140 379. Cf. Noth, " Zum Verh3ltnis, " 157.
49 See Abu Yusuf, Khardj, 67-73, 86-87 ; Ibn Sallam, Amwdl , 57-59 ; Sarakhsi,
Sharp al-siyar, III, 1039 - 40; Duri, "Taxation," 139-40; Forand, "Status."
5o. See pp. 2.371-72, 2468 - 69; Shahan , History, 49-50.
51. For a discussion of the emergence of these traditions in the Umayyad period,
rather than at the time of the conquest , see Noth, "Zum Verhaltnis," 16x. See also
Schmucker, Untersuchungen, 96ff.
5 z. See pp. 2411-14.
Finally, I should like to thank Professor M. J. Kister for being generous as usual with his time , advice, and unrivaled erudition.
Thanks are due also to Professor A. Arazi , with whom I discussed
several poems included in this volume . Dr. A. El`ad read the pas53 See Eli, s.v. "al-`Abbas b. `Abd al-Mullalib " (W. M. Watt).
54. See PP . 2340, 2 342-43.
55. See pp. 2324 , 2337,2340.
fb
e
The
Events of the Year
(22I 21
14
(FEBRUARY 25, 63 5 -FEBRUARY 13, 63 6)
9
back of the same mount ); and the Arabs use the word for a [2213)
person whom they want (to rule them) after (the death of) their ruler.3
And, if `Uthman and `Abd al-Rahman b. cAwf4 could not get the in1. A place situated three miles from Medina , on the way to Iraq . See Yaqut, Mu`jam. III, 377.
2. The pronoun stands for either the Arab philologists or the Bedouins ; both groups
were renowned for their knowledge of classical Arabic.
3. For ridf (a variant of radi/) as a deputy and aid to the kings of al-Iiirah , see Ibn
Manyor, Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v r-d-f,; Jawhari, Tdj al-lugha, IV, 1363 - 64; Azhari, Tahdhib, XIv 96-98.
4. `Abd a]-Ralaman b. 'Awf was one of the earliest converts to Islam and an influ-
formation that they wanted, they directed the question for the third
time to al-'Abbas.)5
`Uthman said to 'Umar: "What has come to your knowledge?
What is it that you want to do? " `Umar gave the call for a congregational prayer, the people gathered around him, and he passed the information to them. Then he considered what the people had to say.
The troops (al-`ammah) said: "Set out and take us with you." (Outwardly] he agreed with their view and did not want to dissociate
himself from them without gently changing their opinion [first], and
he said: "Prepare yourself and prepare your provisions and equipment, for I am about to set out unless an idea better than that comes
up." Then he^sent for the men of sound judgment (ahl al-ra'y).
Prominent companions of the Prophet and Arab notables gathered
around him. He said: "Let me have your opinion, for I am about to
set out." All of them assembled and unanimously decided that he
should stay, send out a man from the companions of the Prophet, and
provide him with troops. If the desired victory should be attained,
then this is what all of them wanted; if not, he would recall the man
and recruit another army. This would enrage the enemy; the Muslims would regain their strength," and God's victory would come
through the fulfillment of God's promises.
`Umar called for congregational prayer, and the people gathered
around him. He sent for 'Ali, whom he had appointed to be his deputy in Medina, and `Ali came to him ; and he also sent for Talhah,
whom he had sent to command the vanguard, and he returned to
him [as well]. On the two wings of the army he appointed al-Zubayr7
and 'Abd al-Rahman b. `Awf. `Umar stood up [to address] the people
and said:
I have never said, and I shall never say, to anyone after the
Prophet: "May my father and mother be your ransom!"
[Still] I say: "May my father and mother be your ransom! 1113
Let me bear the responsibility for the outcome of this matter.'4 Stay and send an army. In the past, you have seen God's
[1115] decree concerning you in your soldiers, and you will see it
also in the future. If your army is defeated, it is not the same
as if you [yourself] were defeated. If you are killed or defeated
at the outset, I am afraid that no Muslims will remain in existence."15
While CUmar was in search of a man [to command an expedition
against the Persians], a letter from Sad (b . Abi Waggaq), who was in
charge of collecting alms in Najd, arrived in the wake of their consultations . cUmar said : " Suggest a man." `Abd al - Rahman said:
"You have found him." `Umar said: "Who is he? " cAbd al- Rahman
said: "Sa`d b. Malikl6 (b. Abi Waggas), whose claws are like a
lion's." The men of judgment went along with this suggestion.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Khulayd b. Zufar - his
13. Meaning : "I do not hold anyone in such a high regard as I hold you."
14. The expression iral `ajuzaha bi is difficult . For `ajuz (pl. a`jdz) in the sense of
"outcome, result " ('awagib), see (M .) Ibn al-Athir, Gharib al-laadith, III, 185. Pace
de Goeje, who, Addenda et Emendanda, (Dcxv), vocalizes `ajz and suggests understanding it as "impotentia."
15. The text reads : " I am afraid that Muslims will not say'God is the greatest' and
'There is no god except Allah."' Cf. Mas'iidi, Muraj, IV, 1o3 : "... if you are defeated
or killed, the Muslims will apostatize and will never attest that there is no god except
Allah... " ( ... innaka in tuhzam aw tuqtal yakf ur al-muslimun wa ld yashhaduna
an Id ilah ilia Allah abadan ... ).
16. Malik and Abu Waggas are one and the same person . Sa'd b. Abi Wagqag was
one of the first converts and supporters of the Prophet . He played an important role in
the battles of nascent Islam. He considered himself " the first person to shoot an arrow in the way of God." See Ell, s.v "Sa 'd b. Abi Wagqag" (K. V. Zetterstden); Ibn
Sa'd, Tabagat, III/i, 97ff.
19. Al-Qutqutinah was a spring situated west of the site where al-Kufah was later
founded. See Yiqut, Mu`jam, IV 137; 111, 539, s.V "Taff"; Morony, Iraq, r5r; S. A.
`Ali, "Minlagat al-KUfah " 2.46-47.
zo. Hawizin was a large northern Arabian tribe , subdued by the Prophet in the battle of I3una)n (Shawwil 8/January -February 630). See EP, s.v "Hawizin" (W. M.
Watt(, "I3unayn" (H. Lammens(.
When `Umar was about to send Sa`d off, he called him back once
again and said:
2r. Wuhayb was Sa`d's grandfather, see Ibn Sa'd, Tabagat, III/i, 971. 8.
22. That is to say, do not grant favors to anyone, regardless of his kinship or companionship with the Prophet and his consequent standing in Islam.
23. The original reads : fl dhdt Allah.
24. Alluding to Qur'an 5:7.
I have appointed you to wage war in Iraq . Remember my admonition because you are about to engage in a difficult and
hateful matter. None but God will keep [you] safe from [the
dangers involved in] it. Make virtue the habit of yourself and
of your associates, and seek divine help by means of it.
Know that every habit has its requisites, and the requisite
of virtue is endurance. You must therefore endure what afflicts you, or afflicts you repeatedly, and fear God. Know
that fear of God consists of two things: being obedient to
Him and avoiding rebellion against Him. One obeys Him by
hating this world and loving the hereafter; one hates Him by
loving this world and hating the hereafter. In people's hearts
there are realities (I aga'iq), which God creates. Two of
these are what is secret (sirr) and what is publicly proclaimed (`alaniyyah). The latter means that [in the eyes of
an upright person]25 people who praise him and people who
blame him are equal when he acts for the sake of the truth
(an yakuna bamiduhu wa dhdmmuhu ft a1-1 aqq sawa') 26
As for what is secret, it becomes known by the appearance
of wisdom from his heart on his tongue and by the love of the
people. Therefore do not refrain from making yourself loved,
for the prophets sought people's love. When God loves someone, He makes him loved; if He hates someone, He makes
him hated. Regard your standing in the eyes of the people
who joined you in this affair as an indication of your standing in the eyes of God.27
25. De Goeje suggests in a note to this passage that the person intended here is the
amir.
26. Equanimity with regard to people 's blame or praise is a frequently mentioned
characteristic of the ideal Muslim and particularly of the zdhid. See, e.g., lbn Flanbal,
Zuhd, r S8; Ibn al-Mubirak, Zuhd, 5 2 (separate pagination at the end of the book). A
similar idea is expressed in the oath of allegiance taken by the early Muslims. They
promised to the Prophet "... to speak the truth wherever we are and not to fear anyone's blame, (when acting) for the sake of God ( ... an naqula bi--`1-Ilagq haythu-ma
kunna wa-ld nakhafa fi Allah lawmata la'imin ). See Bukhari, $alliI , IV4401-2 (kitab al-alakdm, 43). For further occurrences of this tradition , see Wensinck et al.,
Concordance, s.e lawmah . The same attitude of disregarding blame should be taken
by those who apply the punishments prescribed in the Qur'an (i udr d); see lbn Majah, Sunan, II, 849 (kitdb al-hudtid, bob A . See also Kufi, Futnla, 1, 233.
27. Muslim tradition maintains that , if God loves someone, He instructs Gabriel
and the people of heaven to love him as well; such a person also gains acceptance on
Then `Umar sent him out with the warriors who had joined him
in Medina. Sa`d b. Abi Wagga^ set out from Medina in the direction
[22r8j of Iraq with four thousand men. Three thousand came from the
Yemen and al-Sarat.28 The people of the Sarawat were led by Humayc ah b. al-Nu`man b. Humay4ah al-Barigi,29 and they [belonged to
the clans of] Bariq, Alma`, Ghamid, and the rest of their brethren.
The people of al-Sarat were seven hundred, and the people of Yemen
were two thousand and three hundred [fighting men]. Among them
was al-Nakha` b. `Amr. All of them numbered [in total] four thousand people, including the fighting men, their children, and their
wives. `Umar came to see them in their camp and wanted all of
them to proceed to Iraq, but they insisted on going to Syria. `Umar
insisted on Iraq; eventually half of the people complied, and he sent
them to Iraq, and he sent the other half to Syria.
According to al-Sari-Shuayb-Sayf-Hanash al-Nakha`i-his
father and others: `Umar came to see them in their camp and said:
"Honor is abundant among you, 0 people of Nakha`. Proceed with
Sa`d." They wanted to go to Syria. He insisted on Iraq, and they insisted on Syria. So he sent half of them to Syria and the other half to
Iraq.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad, T albah, alMunstanir, and Hanash: Six hundred of the fighters were from Hadramawt and al-$adif,30 commanded by Shaddad b. pam`aj. One
thousand and three hundred were from Madhhij,31 commanded by
[2219) three chieftains: Banu Munabbih under `Amr b. Madikarib;32 the
earth. Accordingly, `Umar b. `Abd al-'Aziz is said to have been loved by God, in view
of the affection that the people displayed toward him. See Muslim, $ahih, IV, 10303 1 (kitdb al-bin wa-al-$ilah wa-al-adab, bib 48).
28. A mountain range parallel to the southwestern coast of the Arabian peninsula.
See EP, s.vv. "al-`Arab, Djazirat" IG. Rentz), 536a, "`Asir" (R. Headley et al.), 7o7b;
Yaqut, Mu`jam, III, 6529. See Ibn Hajar, i$dbah, II, 13o no. i 850.
3o. A region in the Yemen. See Yaqut, Mu`jam, III, 375.
3r. For this tribe of Yemeni extraction , see EP, s.v "Madhhidj " ( G. R. SmithC. E. Bosworth).
32. `Amr b. Ma`dikarib was a famous warrior and mukhadram poet of Yemeni extraction. He converted to Islam in io / 63 i but after the Prophet 's death took part in
the riddah of al-Aswad al--`Ansi, the Yemeni claimant to prophethood. After the
suppression of the rebellion he joined the Muslims again and distinguished himself
in the battles of al -Qadisiyyah and al-Yarmuk. His poetry and other materials concerning him have been collected in Ta"an, Diwdn; and in Taribishi, Shir `Amr.
Some of `Amr 's poems reflect his displeasure at the treatment he received from Sa'd
34. For a description of the battle of al-Qidisiyyah and for an analysis of the historiographical and other problems connected with it, see EP, s.v "al-$idisiyya"
IL. Veccia Vaglieri), and the sources mentioned there. See also Yusuf, "Qadisiyya."
35. Recent studies have shown that zuhd encompasses not only asceticism but
also upright behavior; piety, and integrity in the more general sense . The zuhd of a
ruler is, according to this passage, upholding justice in society. For a somewhat similar definition of zuhd, see Makki, Qr t al-quIdb, II, 199 : "... taking a thing from
where it is and putting it where it should be" (... al-zuhd f al-dunyd huwa... akh-
[zzzo]
43. These details are given in order to,explain `Umar's negative attitude toward the
Saknnis: He had a premonition of their future misdeeds.
44. Ghatafin is a northern Arabian tribe, belonging to the Qays 'Aylin. See E12,
"Ghalafin " ( 1. M. Fuck).
45. Qays `Aylin is a large northern Arabian tribe, represented in the genealogies as
one of the two subdivisions of Mudar. See EP, s.v. "Kays `Aylin" (W. M. Watt).
46. Several areas in Iraq and the Arabian peninsula were known as al-iiazn, or
"rough terrain " ( al-ghaft min al-aril. The one intended here is probably Hazn
Yarbu`, in the vicinity of al-Kufah. See Yiqut, Mu'jam, II, :6o-62.
47. Yiqut defines basilah as "flat land, covered with well-formed pebbles, without
water or pasture , land of God most remote from population " (ard mustawiyah fihd
11a$an mangdsh a$san ma yakun wa-laysa biha md'un wa-id mar`an ab'adu and
Allah min sukkdn). The place intended here lies between al-Kufah and Hazn Yarbu`.
See Yiqut Mu`jam,1, 6:6 -:7.
14
those who had been with him before. The Tayyi' were commanded
by `Adi b. Hatim;48 the Quoa`ah by cAmr b. Wabarah;49 and the Bajilah by lark b. `Abdallah.50 This being the situation, Sacd wanted alMuthanna to come to him, and al- Muthanna wanted Said to come
[z22.2)
1222,3 1
As for the commanders of the flanks ( u;nard' al-tacbiyah), he appointed Zuhrah b. `Abdallah b. Qatadah b. al-Hawiyyah b. Marthad
b. Mucawiyah b. Macn b. Malik b. Irthim b. Jusham b. al-Harith alA`raj64 to command the vanguard. In the pre-Islamic period the king
of Hajar6s had made him a tribal chieftain (sayyid) and sent him to
the Prophet. Having received permission, Zuhrah marched with the
vanguard from Sharaf and arrived at a1= Udhayb 66
Sacd appointed'Abdallih b. al-Muctamm67 to command the right
wing. `Abdallah was a Companion of the Prophet and was one of [22251
nine persons who came to the Prophet; Talhah b. `Ubaydallah completed their group, which was then numbered at ten persons. They
constituted an `irafah.6" He appointed Shurahbzl b. al-Simi b. Shurahbil al-Kindi69 to command the left wing. Shurahbil was a young
man who had fought the people of the riddah, acquitted himself
63. The cavalry mentioned here seems to be "light" in the sense that it is unarmored. See Fries, Heereswesen, 42-3, 71. One should also consider the possibility of
another meaning: a unit of cavalry that travels without heavy luggage and is not accompanied (and encumbered ) by foot soldiers. For this meaning, jaridah or jaridat alkhayl is used. See Lane, Lexicon, s.v jaridah; Dozy, Supplement, s.v.; de Goeje's
Glossary to the text; Tabarl, 1, 2060,11. 13 -14.
64. See ( Cl.) Ibn al-Athir Usd, II, zo6; Ibn Hajar, lldbah, II, 571-7z.
65. Hajar was a town in Bal3rayn. See Ell, s.v. "Hadjar " (Fr. Buhl); Eli, s.v. "al-Hasa"
(F. S. Vidal).
68. `Irdfah was a group of ten to fifteen persons; see Balidhuri, Futulj, 187; Fries,
Heereswesen, 17-18. For the story of the irdfah of nine people that was completed by
Talbah, see Ibn Sa`d, Tabagat, III/i, r 5 611.6- io.
69. Shura}3bil b. al-Sim; participated in the battle of al-Qidisiyyah and in the conquest of Himg . He then became governor of Him* on behalf of Mu`iwiyah and died
there between 36/656 -57 and 4z/66z-63. See lbn Sa d, Tabaqdt, VII/i, 155 1 (`l.) Ibn
al-Ateir, Usd, II, 391, Ibn Hajar, I$dbah, III, 319 -3o no. 3874; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, IV,
322-23 no. 554
ing ten men (nafar) each. On the difference between Abu Bakr and `Umar in their attitudes to the former apostates, see Shaban, History, I, stiff.
78. See (`L) Ibn al -Athir, Usd, III, 292.
79. Saban al-Firisi was a Companion of the Prophet who embraced Islam in Medina after the hijrah . As a prototype of the converted Persians, he occupies a prominent place in the Islamic tradition . See EP, "Salman al-Firisi " (G. Levi della Vida).
8o. Al-rdid is the person who marches ahead of the tribe, or the troops, in search
of water, good halting places, etc. A classical Arabic proverb says. "The scout does not
mislead his people " (al-rdid la yakdhibu qawmahu ). See Maydini, Amthdl, III, 188.
8 z. For Ziyad b. Abi Sufyin, also known as Ziyid b. Abihi, see EP, s.v "Ziyid b.
Abihi" (H. Lammens).
S z. Al-Mu`anna b . Harithah was the brother of al-Muthanna, for whom see note 17,
above.
83. Salina was the widow of al-Muthanna b. Hirithah. See note 17, above; and
2227, below.
84. Azadbih was the Persian governor of al-Hirah. See Tabari, 1, 2037, 2191; Morony, Iraq, 187; Donner, Conquests, z8o.
In his last will al-Muthanna advised Sad not to fight his enemy,
and the enemy of the Persians who embraced Islam deep in their
land, when their full force was gathered; he should rather fight them
12zz71 on their border, the border between the desert of the Arabs and the
cultivated land of the Persians. If God should give victory to the
Muslims, the land behind the enemy would be theirs. Should the
outcome be different, they would fall back to a rear echelon" and
would find their way more easily; their spirits would be higher in
their own land, until God should give them another opportunity to
attack.
When the will including the advice of al-Muthanna reached Sad,
he invoked God's mercy upon him, appointed al-Mu'anna to al-Mu85. A1-Nu`min b. Mundhir Abu Qibus was the last king of al-Hirah, who died at
the hands of Khusraw II in , or around, 602. See EP, s.v. "al-Nu`man b. al-Mundhir"
(A. Moberg); CHI, IV, 3.
86. Dhu Qir was situated near the place where al-Kufah was later founded. It became famous because it had been the site of a battle in which pre-Islamic Arabs had
for the first time gained the upper hand against the Persians . See EP, s.v. "Dhu Kir"
(L. Veccia Vaglieri ); Yiqut, Mu'jam, IV, to- i i.
87. Al-Mu` anna's decisive action seems to have been caused by his apprehension
that Qabus was making an attempt to revive the power of the kingdom of al-Hirah.
Qabus b. Qibus b. al-Mundhir was the grandson of the last king of al-Hirah and thus
a natural candidate to revive its erstwhile power.
88. For if ah in this sense, see Lane, Lexicon, s.v.; Rowson, Marwanid Restoration,
9 (= Tabari, II, 86 r ). See also Tabari,1, 2176, 2.x 8o, where `Umar describes himself as
fi'atu kulli muslimin, i.e., the safe place behind the front to which every Muslim can
repair when in danger ; and Kufi, Futull , I, 192.
In the preceding sentence, Wellhausen (Skizzen, 1521 suggested emending fa-lahum and ward'ahum to lahd ma ward'ahd, with the translation "this victory will be
decisive ." As this passage explains why the Muslims should fight near their border
rather than deep in the Persian territory, I tend to agree with de Goeje, who rejected
Wellhausen's emendation (Addenda et Emendanda, Dcxvi). Al-Muthanna seems to
be saying that, if the Muslims win, the Persian territory will be theirs in any case; if
they lose, they will be in a better situation militarily if the battle has taken place near
their own land.
In the units of the army there were seventy odd men who had participated in the battle of Badr, around three hundred and ten men
who were the Prophet's Companions since the Pledge of Good Pleasure ( baytat al-ri4wdh ),89 three hundred men who participated in
the conquest of Mecca (fatlz), and seven hundred sons of Companions, from all the Arab tribes.
While Sacd was in Sharif, he received `Umar's letter, expressing
an opinion similar to that of al -Muthanni . At the same time `Umar
wrote also to Abu `Ubaydah (b. al-Jarrib ), and the letters were transmitted to both of them. In the letter to Abu `Ubaydah `Umar ordered
him to send six thousand Iraqis and all those who desired to go with
them [to join Sacd 's army]. The text of his letter to Sad was as follows:
After the preliminaries ( ammo bacdu): Set out from Sharif
in the direction of Persia , together with all the Muslims
who are with you. Put your reliance in God and seek His
help in all your affairs . Concerning the task in front of you,
be aware that you are about to take on a nation that has great
numbers and superior equipment . Their courage is great,
and they live in a well-defended country. Though it is flat, it
is hard of access because of its crevices , flood plains, and
torrents,90 except if you happen to arrive when the water is
low. When you encounter the Persians or one of them, attack [2228]
them first, and beware of waiting until their armies gather.
Let them not deceive you, because they are deceitful and
crafty, unlike you, you must exert full effort in the struggle
against them.
24
area between al-Khawarnag97 and al-Hirah. To the left of alQadisiyyah, as far as al-Walajah,99 there is a flood plain.
All the ahl al-sawad who had concluded peace with the
Muslims before me now support the Persians, are obedient
to them, and are ready to fight us. The person whom they
designated to fight against us is Rustam, and other Persians
like him. They try to make us act heedlessly and to throw
us off balance, and we try to do the same and [also] try to
draw them into the open field. God's command will soon be
put into effect; His decree will deliver us to the fate that He
determines, whether it be for good or for evil. We ask God to
decree in our favor and keep us well.
cUmar wrote to Sa`d: "I have received your letter and have understood it. Stay where you are until God throws your enemy off balance, and know that other [battles] will follow 99 If God grants you
victory over them, do not stop the pursuit until you force your way
into al-Mada'in. God willing, this will be the destruction of the
city." Umar started to pray especially for Sa'd. Others prayed with
him for Sacd and for the Muslims in general.
Sad sent Zuhrah (b. al-Hawiyyah) forward to camp at `Udhayb alHijanat. Then he followed on his tracks and stayed with him there.
97. Al-Khawarnaq was a castle situated i mile east of al -Najaf. According to the
Arab tradition, it was built for al-Nu`min b. lmri' al -Qays, the king of al-Hirah (A.D.
405 - 33), on the orders of the Sasanian king . The castle became famous in Arab lore
because al-Nu`min killed Sinnimir, the architect of the castle, in order to prevent
the construction of a similarly sumptuous building for someone else . The story gave
rise to the proverbial "reward of Sinnimir" jazd' Sinnimdr). See Maydini, Amthdl,
1, 2.83 . See also EP s.v. "al-Khawarnalt" ) L. Massignon ), Yiqut, Mu'jam, II, 490-94.
For a description of the ruins of al-Khawamaq, see Musil , Middle Euphrates, 104-6.
98. See Yiqut, Mu`jam, IV, 939; Donner, Conquests, 329 and index.
Later he sent him on farther to camp in al-Qadisiyyah , between al`Atiq and the moat -canal, opposite the bridge. Qudays was at that
time one mile downstream from the bridge.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - al-Qa`ga`: `Umar wrote
to Sa`d:
I have been given the feeling that you will defeat the enemy
when you encounter him. Therefore cast your doubts away
and choose firm faithloo instead . Should any one of you joke (22311
with a Persian about safe-conduct ( amdn) or approach him
with a hint, or say to him a word that the Persian will not
understand and will construe as a safe -conduct, then act as
if he had been given one. Beware of frivolity. Be faithful, because mistaken faithfulness is virtue ,'0' but mistaken betrayal [entails] perdition ; it will be a source of your weakness and of your enemies' strength . You will lose your
predominance, and they will gain ascendance .'"? I am warning you not to be a disgrace to the Muslims and a cause of
their humiliation.
According to al-Sari -Shucayb - Sayf - 'Abdallah b. Muslim al`Ukll and al-Migdam b . Abi al-Migdam- his father- Karib b. Abi
Karib al-`Ukli, who was in the vanguard in the battle days of al-Qadisiyyah : Sacd sent us forward from Sharaf, and we camped in
`Udhayb al-Hijanat. Then he went forth . When he was with us at
`Udhayb al-Hijanat, that being at dawn, Zuhrah b . al-Hawiyyah set
out with the vanguard . When we were able to see `Udhayb, which
was one of the Persian garrisons, we perceived people on its towers.
Wherever we looked, on a tower or between two battlements, we
saw a man. We were with the advance horsemen , so we halted until
[more of] the troops joined us. We thought that [Persian] horsemen
were in `Udhayb. We then set out in the direction of `Udhayb, and,
when we drew near, a man rushed out, running in the direction of alQadisiyyah. We finally reached `Udhayb, entered it, and found that
it had been abandoned . That was the man who appeared to us on the I=A
2]
zoo. 'hanslating al-yagin, a variant mentioned in the notes, rather than taqiyyah
of the text.
ror. For baqiyyah in this sense, see Spitaler, "Bagija."
ros. For dhahdb rilaihim, see Qur'an 8:46.
(z2.33]
towers and between the battlements as a ruse and then hurried to inform the Persians of our arrival . We went out in pursuit but failed to
seize him. Zuhrah heard about it and rushed out himself, pursuing
him,103 saying : "If the scout escapes , they will receive the information!" He caught up with him at the moat, stabbed him, and threw
him into the moat. The people who participated in the battle of alQadisiyyah admired the courage of this man and his military
knowledge; there has never been a spy, in any nation, who stood his
ground better or was more resolute than this Persian. If he had not
had to run such a great distance, Zuhrah would not have caught up
with him and would not have killed him.
The Muslims found in `Udhayb spears, arrows, leather baskets
(asfaf), and other useful things.
(Sa`d]104 then dispatched raiding parties and ordered them to attack al-Hirah at night. He placed them under the command of Bukayr b. `Abdallah al-Laythi. Among the warriors was the Qaysi poet
al-Shammakh 105 with thirty men well known for bravery and courage. They marched at night, passed Saylahun , 106 and crossed a
nearby bridge in the direction of al-Hirah. (There] they heard a loud
noise, halted their advance, and lay in ambush to examine the situation. They lay there until a group of horsemen who went ahead of
that noise passed by on their way to al-$innin.107 The horsemen did
not perceive the Muslims; they were merely expecting the
(above-mentioned] spy, did not look for the Muslims , and did not pay
any attention to them. Their sole aim was to reach $innin. The sister
of Azadmard b. Azadbih, the governor of al-Hirah, was being married to the ruler of $innin , a Persian nobleman . The bride was accompanied by an escort, fearful of a lesser [danger] than that which they
1o3. The text reads: " ... Zuhrah heard about it, followed us, reached us, left us
behind, and pursued him."
Io9. For the commander's right to receive one-fifth of the booty, based on Qur'an 8:41 ("Know that whatever booty you take , the fifth is God's and the Messenger's ... "), see EP, s.v. "Fay"' (F. Lekkegaard). Sa`d's decision to distribute the fifth,
which he was entitled to retain, is an indication of his selfless generosity. See also Ibn
Man;Ur; Lisdn al-`arab, s.v. n-f-I (XI, 676).
i to. Ghilib b. `Abdallih al-Laythi led several expeditions against Bedouin tribes
during the lifetime of the Prophet. See Ibn Sa`d, Tabaqdt, II/i, 86, 87-91; Ibn Habib,
Mubabbar, 117,119, i zo; Tabari, index.
I Ir. Yignt's entry ( Mu`jam, IV, 42-43 ) says only that Qudays is situated in the
vicinity of al-Qidisiyyah, quoting the passage from our text together with a verse in
which Qudays is mentioned in connection with the battle of al-Qidisiyyah . See also
Musil, Middle Euphrates , I to-I I.
I i z. The text has al-qawm. It is noteworthy that in numerous passages translated
in this volume qawm is used for the enemies, while nds is used for the group to
122341
what we saw, we have never seen people who shunned this world and 122351
despised it more than these. None of them was noted, 17 on that day
for cowardice, betrayal, or plunder."118 This was "the Day of the
Bulls" (yawm al-abagir[.
Sacd then dispatched raiding parties to the region between
Kaskar19 and al-Anbar. 120 They obtained provisions sufficient for a
period of time. He also sent spies to the people of al-Hirah and to $aluba,121 in order to obtain information about the affairs of the Persians. The spies returned with a report that the king had appointed
Rustam b. Farrukhzad al-Armani to lead the fight against Sacd and
had ordered him to organize an army. Sacd wrote about it to cUmar.
`Umar replied:
Do not be perturbed by the information that you receive
about them nor by [the army] that they will muster against
you. Ask God's help and put your reliance on Him. Send [to
the Persian king] people of [impressive] appearance, sound
judgment, and endurance, in order to invite him to embrace
Islam. God will render this invitation a cause of weakness
and defeat for them . Write to me daily!
122. Sibil was one of the seven cities that together constituted al-Madi'in ("the
According to Muhammad b. cAbdallah b. $afwan al-Thagafi Umayyah b. Khalid - Abu 'Awanah = HuSayn b. `Abd al-Rahman
- Abu Wa'il: Sacd came to camp at al-Qadisiyyah with the army.
He said:
I do not know, perhaps we are not more than seven thousand
men, roughly, and the polytheists are approximately thirty
thousand. They said to us: "You have no might or power or
weapons . What has brought you here? Thrn back !" We replied: "We shall not turn back. We are not the kind of people
who turn back." They were laughing at our arrows, saying
dilk duk127 and comparing them with spindles. When we refused to turn back, they said : "Send to us a wise man who
will explain to us what brought you here." Al-Mughirah b.
Shucbah said : "I am the man."
He crossed over to them and sat with Rustam on the throne. They
were snorting and shouting . Al-Mughirah said: "This will not increase my honor, nor will it detract from that of your leader." Rustam [22371
said : "You are right. What has brought you here? " Al-Mughirah
said:
We were a people living in gross error. God sent to us a
prophet, guided us through him to the straight path, and
gave us sustenance . Among the things He gave us was a seed
that grows, so it was claimed, in this country. 128 When we
ate it and gave it to our families to eat , they said, "We cannot
rz6. `Utarid b. I:iajib was a chieftain of the tribe of Tamim . Having embraced Islam
in the year 9/630-3 r (or 20/63 r -3 x), he was entrusted with collecting the poor tax
(;adagah) of his tribe. After the death of the Prophet he joined the rebellion of Saja!a,
the Tamimi woman who claimed prophethood . Like numerous other apostates, he reverted to Islam after the suppression of the riddah. See Ibn Sacd, Tabagdt, I/ii, 401
II/i, r r 61 (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, III, 4111 Ibn Hajar, l dbah, IV, 507-9.
127. Meaning "spindle" in Persian. The Persians ridiculed the Arab arrows because
theirs must have been much thicker. Cf. Schwarzlose, Waffen, z8 x.
1128. Persia.
(`Ubayd b. Jahsh] said : "I found myself coming close to a man who
rz9. Identified by de Goeje as Husayn b. `Abd al-Rahman al-rawi, on whom see
Bukhari, Ta'rikh, II, 8 no. z5.
130. The sentence describes the confusion of battle , in which men kill each other
by trampling or in a similar way.
131. For al.'ibad, the Nestorian Christian community of al-Hirah , see Bosworth,
"Iran and the Arabs," 598-99.
13 z. The Muslims felt that they had been deceived when they eventually found out
that camphor was an extremely expensive substance, while the shirt was of minimal
value . For camphor and its price, see EP, s.v. "Kaffir" ( A. Dietrich (; Heyd, Commerce,
II, 594; Ashtor, Prix et salaires, 140, 337, 421- z2 (no data for Iraq at the time of the
Muslim conquest).
136. A city on the eastern bank of the Tigris, not far from the site where Baghdad
was later built. See Le Strange , Lands, 3 z.
137. Hishim b. `Utbah b. Abi Waggig of Quraysh embraced Islam after the conquest of Mecca. He lost an eye in the battle of Yarmflk, participated in the battles
against the Persians, and was killed in the battle of $iffin in 37 /657-58. See Ibn Habib, Mul/abbar, x61, 269 ; (`I.) Ibnal -Athir, Usd, V, 49-50.
138. Jaluli' is situated to the northeast of Baghdad . Tahiti gives a much more detailed description of this battle in I, z456ff. See also Yiqut, Mu`jam, II, 107.
139. Apparently the members of the Muslim delegation appointed by Sad to invite
Yazdagird to embrace Islam; see p. 2.2.36, above.
122391
Al-Sari- Shu`ayb-Sayf-`Amr-al-Sha`bi related the same tradition and then added : The king then said : "Ask them: 'Why did
you come here ? What induced you to attack us and covet our country? Did you muster courage against us because we left you alone
and were busy with other matters? "' Al-Nu`min b. Mugarrin said
to the members of his delegation: "If you wish, I shall answer on
your behalf. If anybody else desires [to speak), I shall prefer him to
do so." They said to him: "Speak," and they said to the king: "This
man speaks on behalf of us all."
Al-Nucmin said:
God has had mercy upon us and has sent to us a messenger
who showed us what is good and ordered us to practice it; he
made evil known to us and ordered us to abstain from it. If
we should respond to him, he promised us the goodness of
this world and of the next . All tribes whom he invited to join
him became divided : One group drew near him, and an144. In Tha`alibi, Ghurar, 739, the discussion is not with the king but with Rustam, who says: bddshdhi burd "he carried away the kingdom." See also Kufi, Futnlj,
1,197145. The king's play on words is made possible by the different meanings of words
that sound similar in Arabic and Persian: burd "cloak" (Arabic), "carried" (Persian),
ni'dl "sandals" (Arabic), ndlah "lament" (Persian); saws "whip" (Arabic), sGkht
"burned" (Persian).
It is noteworthy that according to the account of Ibn Kathir (Biddyah, VII, 41),
which is also attributed to Sayf b. `Umar, Yazdagird saw in the Arabs' replies to his
questions a good omen, but God transformed it into a bad one (tafd'ala fa-radda AIldh fa'lahu `aid ra'sihi).
146. Reading tafayyuruhu with Wellhausen, Skizzen, 152, and the Egyptian edition, rather than na;iruhu of the Leiden edition.
(2240]
(2241]
The Arabs remained silent . Al-Mughirah b. Zurarah b. al-Nabbash al-Usaydi stood up and said:
0 king, these are Arab chieftains of high rank. They are noblemen, diffident in their relationship with other noblemen.
Only noblemen can honor other noblemen ; only noblemen
can enhance the rights of other noblemen, and only noblemen can treat other noblemen with respect. They therefore
did not tell you all they had been sent with, and they did not
reply to everything you had said. They did the right thing
and did nothing except that which would befit people of
their kind. Speak, therefore, with me; I shall give you the information, and they shall witness to it ."a In your description of us, you said things of which you had no knowledge.149
As for the destitution that you mentioned, there was nobody
more destitute that we were . As for our hunger, it was not
hunger in the usual sense. We used to eat beetles of various
sorts (khanafis, jidlan ), 150 scorpions, and snakes, and we
considered this our food. Nothing but the bare earth was our
dwelling. We wore only what we spun from the hair of camels and sheep . Our religion was to kill one another and to
raid one another. And if there was among us such as would
bury his daughter alive, recoiling from her eating from our
food's' -- the our condition in the past had , indeed, been
what I mentioned to you.
But then God sent to us a well -known man. We knew his
lineage, his face, and his birthplace . His land is the choice
part of our land. His glory and the glory of his ancestors are
148. Al-Mughirah implies that he will not be as reserved and inhibited in his
speech as were the other members of the delegation.
149. Meaning that the conditions in which the Arabs lived in the pre -Islamic period
were worse than would appear from the king 's description.
15o. The inferior food of the Arabs was one of the arguments frequently used by the
Shu`nbiyyah in order to deprecate them . Cf. Goldzihei Muslim Studies, 1, 15: n. i.
Here it is used to describe the conditions in which the Arabs lived in the lihiliyyah
and to demonstrate the fundamental transformation that they experienced as a result
of the emergence of Islam.
15 x. The reference is to female infanticide ( wa'd al-bandt(, which was practiced in
pre-Islamic Arabia . As in this passage, poverty is usually given as its cause . See, for
instance, I$fahini, Aghani, XXX, 8519- zo. For Qur'i nic criticism of the custom, see
Qu?1n 6 : 137,1401 x 5 ir 16 : 58, 59; 17:3 3 . Fora novel interpretation, seeLichtenstaedter, "Ghardniq."
"If you wish, choose to pay the poll tax out of hand and in
humilation . 157 If you wish ( to reject this offer ), it is the
sword, unless you embrace Islam and save your soul."
[The king] said: "Do you [dare to] face me with such things? " (AlMughirah b. Zurarah] said: "I faced only the one who spoke to me.
Had somebody else spoken to me, I would not have faced you with
this." The king said: "But for the custom not to kill envoys, I would
have killed you. I have nothing for you."
Then the king said : "Bring me a load of soil,." And he said: "Load
it on the most noble of them and drive him out of the gate of al-Mada'in. " (And to the Arabs he said): "Return to your chief and tell him
that I am sending to you Rustam to finish you and your chief off in (2243)
the moat of al-Qadisiyyah. He will punish you severely as an example for others . Then I shall send him to your country and make
you mind your own affairs in a manner more harsh than that which
you suffered at the hands of Sabur."158 Then he asked: "Who is the
most noble among you? "The Arabs remained silent . `Agim b. `Amr,
who had decided to take the load without consulting anyone, said:
"I am the most noble . I am their chief. Load it on me." The king
asked: "Is it so? " The Arabs said: "Yes." The king loaded the soil on
his neck and drove him out of the hall and out of the building. `Agim
went to his camel, loaded it with the burden, and quickly rode away.
All of them traveled to Said. `Aim overtook them, and, passing near
the gate of Qudays, he said: "Bring the tidings of victory to the amir.
God willing, we have won." He went to put the soil in a safe place,
then returned, entered to Sa`d, and informed him about the matter.
Sacd said : "By God, rejoice, because God gave us the keys to their
kingdom !" `A$im's companions returned . The strength of the Muslims began to increase day by day, and their enemy grew weaker day
by day.
157. Paraphrasing Qur'an 9 : z9. For an exhaustive discussion of the meaning attached in Qur anic exegesis to the expression "out of hand" (can yadin), see Kister,
'An yadin ."
r58. The king refers to Shahpur b . Hurmuz, who ruled the Sasanid kingdom between A.D. 3 ro and 379. He is known in the Arab tradition for his military exploits
against the Arabs and for his cruel treatment of Arab prisoners of wa r, whose shoulders he is said to have dislocated. On the strength of this tradition he was dubbed "the
man of the shoulders" ( dhd al-aktdf). See Tabor!, 1, 838 - 89, 843 - 441 Tha`alibi,
Ghurar, 517-211 and Ibn Qutaybah, Ma`drif, 656-67s fora discussion of this and
other interpretations of dh0 al-aktdf see Christensen, Sassanides, 23 5 n. z.
[2244]
Rustam said: "0 king, he is the wisest among them. He saw a good
omen in this159 and perceived the matter, while his companions did
not."
Rustam left the king's presence dejected and angry. Being an astrologer and a priest, he sent someone to follow the delegation and
said to a confidant of his: "If the messenger catches up with them,
we have put things right and saved our country. If they outstrip him,
God will deprive you of your country and of your sons." The messenger returned from al-Hirah, reporting that they had already gone.
Rustam said: "These people have carried your country away without any doubt. Kingship is not an affair for the son of a woman cupper. 160 They have taken the keys to our kingdom."
This was one of the ways in which God infuriated the Persians.
After the delegation set out to meet Yazdagird, the Muslims sent
out a raiding party. The party apprehended some fishermen with
their catch. Sawad b. Malik al-Tamimi went to al-Nijaf.161 Al159. Tafayyara bi- usually means "he regarded something as a bad omen." Here we
have tatayyara ild in the opposite sense, which does not seem to be listed in the classical dictionaries but was noted by de Goeje in Glossary, s.v l-y-r.
16o. For the tradition about the birth of Yazdagird to Shahriyar and a cupper slave
girl, see Tabari, I, 1044.
161. 1 am not able to identify this place.
r68. I am unable to identify this locality ; cf. $. A. `All, "Mintaqat al-KUfah," 235.
169. According to Yaqut (Mu`jam, 111, 358 ), Shili was an area near al-KUfah.
r 7o. An ancient canal in the vicinity of al-KUfah, named in the Islamic period after
Ziyid b. Abihi, who is said to have reopened it. See Yiqut , Mu`jam, 111, 358 and IV,
840-41.
[22451
42
camp. cAmr said: "At that time there were only two canals in the
area."
More than two years passed between the coming of Khalid (b. alWalid) to Iraq and the camping of Sa`d in al-Qadisiyyah. Sa`d stayed
there for more than two months, until he achieved victory.
According to the previous chain of transmission : 171 The following
events took place between the Persians and the Arabs after the battle
of Buwayb. Al-Anushajan b. al-Hirbidh set out from the rural area of
al-Ba$rah in the direction of the people of Ghudayy. 172Four men who
were leading various clans of Tamim confronted him in front of the
people of Ghu4layy. These were al-Mustawrid and `Abdallah b. Zayd,
alternately commanding173 al-Ribab; Jaz' b. Mucawiyah174 and Ibn
al-Nabighah, alternately commanding Sa`d; al-Hasan b. Niyar and
al-A`war b. Bashamah, alternately commanding `Amr; and al-Husayn b. Macbad and al-Shabah, alternately commanding Han;alah.
They killed al-Anushajan in defense of the people of GhucIayy. When
Sacd (b. Abi Wagga$) came, they joined him together with the people
of Ghuc ayy and all the clans mentioned above.
[x247]175 According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad and
Talhah and `Amr: The people of the sawad appealed to Yazdagird b.
Shahriyar for help. They sent him a message , saying:
The Arabs are camping at al-Qadisiyyah in a warlike manner. Nothing can endure their actions since they have
camped at al-Qadisiyyah and remain intact. They have ruined everything that was between them and the Euphrates.
Nobody remains in this area except in the forts. Animals
and food that could not be contained in the forts have been
destroyed. The thing that will come next is that they will
demand that we come down from the forts. Should help be
171. Seep. 7239, above.
172. See note 18, above.
173. For this meaning of sanada, see de Goeje's Glossary and Dozy, Supplement,
s.v The alternating pattern of command explains why Anushajan was confronted by
four commanders only, though eight names are mentioned in the text . See also Tabari, I, 82I 11. 8- Io: fa-gdtalahu mutasdnidayni yugatiluhu hadha yawman wahddha yawman. See now also M. Lecker, The Band Sulaym, 152 n. 65.
174. Jaz' (or lazy) b. Mu`awiyah b. al-Husayn later became a governor of Ahwaz on
behalf of `Umar. See (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, 1, 282- 83; Ibn Hajar, I$dbah, 1, 474 no.
1151.
It seems that Rustam agreed and praised the king . The king said:
"I wish to consider [the information that ] you have and to find out
what you think . Describe to me the Arabs and their exploits since
they have camped in al-Qadisiyyah and describe to me what the Persians have suffered at their hands ." Rustam said : "I would describe
them as a pack of wolves, falling upon unsuspecting shepherds and
annihilating them."
Yazdagird said:
It is not like that. I put the question to you in the expectation that you would describe them clearly and that then I
would be able to reinforce you so that you might act according to the [real situation]. But you did not say the right thing.
You must therefore understand what I have to say. The Arabs [2248]
and the Persians are comparable to an eagle who looked
upon a mountain where birds take shelter at night and stay
in their nests at the foot of it . When morning came, the birds
looked around and saw that he was watching them. Whenever a bird became separated from the rest, the eagle
176. Al-taff was used for the part of the Arabian desert that was closest to the cultivated land of Iraq . From there the word acquired the meaning of border area in general; more specifically, al-Taff is also used for the environs of al-Kilfah . See Yaqut,
Mu`jam, III, 539-4o1 cf . Morony, Iraq, 187 and index.
178. Ardashir Artaxerxes) I was the founder of the Sasanian dynas ty, which ruled
Persia from A.D. the third century until the Muslim conquest. See CHI, III, index s.v.
Rustam said, in order to raise the morale of the king: "If God gives (2.z.5o)
us victory over them, we shall turn to their kingdom in their land,
and we shall keep them busy in their place of origin until they agree
to reconciliation or become again satisfied with their erstwhile condition."
When the delegation of Sacd returned from their meeting with the
king, Rustam had a dream that he disliked and perceived as a bad
omen. He did not want to set out and to encounter the Arabs because
of it . He lost his equanimity and became confused . He asked the
king to send al-Jalnus and to let him stay so that he might consider
what [the Arabs] were doing. He said:
46
Rustam sent out his vanguard with forty thousand men and himself set out with sixty thousand. His rear guard set out with twenty
thousand.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad, Talhah, Ziyad, and `Amr: Rustam set out with one hundred and twenty thousand men, all of them accompanied by dependents. Together with
the dependents they numbered more than two hundred thousand.
He set out from al-Mada'in with sixty thousand men, accompanied
by dependents.
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - Hisham b. `Urwah `A'ishah: Rustam moved against Sa'd in al-Qadisiyyah with sixty
thousand men, accompanied by dependents.
[22S IJ According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad,Talhah, Ziyad, and `Amr: When the king insisted on [Rustam's) going [into
battle), Rustam wrote to his brother and to the chiefs of the people of
his country:
From Rustam to al-Binduwan, the Marzuban of al-Bab'53
and the arrow of the people of Persia, who is equal to every
event, by means of whom God will break up every powerful
army and conquer every impregnable fort, and (from Rustam) to those who follow him. Strengthen your forts, prepare [for war], and be ready, as if the Arabs have already arrived in your country to fight for your land and for your sons.
I suggested that we should ward them off and thus gain time
until their auspicious stars become unlucky, but the king
refused.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-al-$alt b. Bahram-a certain man: When Yazdagird ordered Rustam to set out from Sabat,
183. Al-Bib (or Bib al-Abwib) is the old name for the city of Darband, on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. It served as a fortification against invasions from the
north and as a point of entry for visitors from that direction into the Persian empire.
See Yagiit, Mu'jam , I, 437-42 ; Christensen, Sassanides, 369, 415; E12, s.vv. "Bib alAbwib" (D. M. Dunlop ): "al-Kabk " (C. E. Bosworth).
48
[22531
spot, but Zurna has lied. The dirham will bounce and come to rest
on that spot," and he drew another circle. Before they could getup, a
magpie landed on the battlements ; a dirham fell from its beak on the
first line, bounced, and came to rest on the second line.
The Indian became hostile to Jaban for having exposed his error.
A pregnant cow was brought to them. The Indian said: "Its lamb
will be black, with a white spot on its forehead (gharra')." Jaban
said: "You are lying. It will rather be black with a white spot on its
tail ($abgha')." The cow was slaughtered and the lamb extracted. Its
tail was between its eyes. Jaban said: "By this Zurna was deluded."187 Both'88 encouraged the king to dispatch Rustam, and the
king ordered him to go forth.'89
Jaban wrote to Jushnasmah190 saying: "The affair of the Persians
is over, and their enemy has prevailed over them . The Zoroastrian
kingdom has passed away, the kingdom of the Arabs has emerged
victorious, and their religion has gained the ascendancy. Make a contract of protection with them, and do not allow yourself to be deceived. Hurry, hurry before you are taken captive." When he received the letter, jushnasmah went out to the Arabs and came to alMu`anna . Al-Mu`anna was at al `Atiq with his horsemen. He sent
him to Said. Jushnasmah made a contract [of protection] for himself,
for his family, and for those who followed him. 19, Sa`d instructed
187. For this meaning of the passive form utiya , see Ibn Man;ur, Lisdn al-`Arab,
s. a-t-y (XIV, 161; and Lane, Lexicon, s.v a-t-y.
188. Jaban and Zurna, or Jaban and his servant , who increased their credibility by
winning the magicians ' contest with Zurna.
189. Fearful of disclosing what the stars had in store for the Persians , the astrologers encouraged the king to send Rustam into battle and presumably made favorable
predictions about its outcome. It seems, however, that the choice of the birds in the
story by the Muslim traditionist is intended as a hint that their predictions were false
and that the Persian empire was doomed . In Arab ornithomancy the crow is considered the worst of all omens . One of the reasons is that the crow did not return to
Noah's ark after he had been sent out to report on the situation of the flood . See jabiZ,
Hayawdn, II, 3161 111, 443, 457 ( an evil omen if he cries once and a good omen if he
cries twice). See also Damiri, Hayawdn, 11, 17z-81 (especially 173 last line- 174 1.
1). Cf. Fahd. Divination, 506- lo; Fahd, "Presages." The magpie ('aq'aq) was considered evil because popular etymology derived its name from `ugdq "filial disobedience." The intensity of popular feelings about the magpie can be gauged from the
legal controversy over whether a person who set out on a journey, heard the sound of
the magpie, and therefore returned should be considered an infidel for believing in ornithomancy or not . See Damiri, Hayawdn, II, 148-49.
190. jushnasmih was one of jiban 's military commanders. See Tabari, I, 2168.
191. Apparently those who surrendered to the Arabs with him.
Jushnasmah to return [to his place], and he became a spy for the
Muslims.
Jushnasmah presented al-Mu`anna with some fdludhaq.192 AlMu`anni said to his wife: "What is this?" She said: "I think that
his miserable wife tried to prepare `asidahl93 but failed." AlMu`anni said: "May misery befall her!"
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad,Talhah, Ziyad, and cAmr: When Rustam left Sabal, Jaban met him on the
bridge and said to him in complaint: "Do you not see what I see? "
Rustam said: "I am being led by the nose and can see no alternative
except submission."194 Rustam ordered al-Jalnus to proceed to alI;iirah. He set out and established his camp in al-Najaf. Rustam set
out for Kuthi and wrote to al-Jalnus and al -Azadmard: "Capture for
me an Arab from the army of Sacd." Each'rode forward by himself,
captured a prisoner, and sent him to Rustam in Kutha; Rustam interrogated him and then killed him.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - al-Natlr b. al-Sari - In
al-Rufayl-his father: When Rustam went forth and ordered al-Jalnus to move in the direction of al-Hirah, he also ordered him to capture an Arab for him. He and al-Azidmard went out with a raiding
party of one hundred men, reached al-Qadisiyyah, captured a man
before the Qadisiyyah bridge, and took him away. The Muslims rallied to his rescue but were not able to catch up with the Persians.
They managed only to hit some of those who lagged behind. When
the Persians reached al-Najaf, they sent the man to Rustam, who
was in Kntha. Rustam said to him: "What brought you here? What
192. Originally a Persian dessert, faludhaq (or faludhaj ) was made of crushed almonds and sugar) cf. modern Persian paluda; Jawiligi, Mu`arrab, 295) Ibn Mansur,
Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v f-1-dh. Arab tradition speaks of `Abdallih b. Jud`an as the first
person who introduced the Arabs to this dish after his visit to the Persian king. Our
anecdote seems to indicate that it was still not very well known among the Arabs in
the first decades of Islam . In later periods it is said to have been considered one of the
most exquisite dishes (min ashraf ma `arafdhu min Ia`dm). See Jabi;, Bukhald',
253. Muslim tradition considers the adoption of faludhaq as a sign of the great prosperity that the Arabs came to enjoy as a result of the conquests (see Ibn Mijah,
Sunan, II, r 108 -9, Kitdb al-arimah, bob 46). For the recipe, see Baghdadi, Tabikh,
quoted in Rodinson, "Recherches," 149 (with ample bibliography and discussion))
El', s.v. "Ghidhi"' ( M. Rodinson), II, io67a.
193. `ASidah is porridge made with flour and oil . See In Man:uc Lison al-`Arab,
s.v. `a-$-d; Rodinson, "Recherches," 141 (with ample bibliography).
194. Both Rustam and Jaban are astrologers and know in advance what the outcome
of the conflict will be.
122541
[22551
31
0 people of Persia , the Arab spoke the truth. By God, nothing save our deeds has delivered us to them . By God, though
we are at war with them , the Arabs treat our people better
than you do. God would have given you victory over the enemy and strengthened your position in the land if your behavior had been upright, if you had refrained from injustice,
if you had lived up to your commitments and had performed
good deeds. But, if you go astray and engage in these [evil]
actions , I believe that God will change your circumstances
[for the worse ], and I am not confident that He will not take
His dominion away from you.
Rustam sent his men out to arrest some people against whom
complaints were lodged. They were brought to him, and he struck
their heads off. Then he rode out and called upon the people to
march. He set out and camped opposite Dayr al-A`war.197 Then he
195. Yagnt identifies Burs as "a place in Babylon (Bdbil), in which there are some
remnants from ( the time of! Nebuchadnezzar. It is on a very high hill." See Yaqut,
Mu'jam , 1, 5651-14.
196. The text has `ulnj, sg. `ilj, which is a pejorative term.
197. A place on the outskirts of al-Kufah (;dhir al-Knfah; cf. glossary to BGA, IV,
294(. See Yiqut, Mu`jam , II, 644; Oppenheimer et al., Babylonia , 384 n. 5
511
moved down to al-Milts;198 and camped on the bank of the Euphrates, opposite the people of al-Najaf , opposite al-Khawamaq,'99
and near al -Ghariyyan. ?AO He summoned the people of al-Hirah,
threatened them, and made up his mind to act against them. Ibn
Bugaylah2O1 said to him: "You cannot have it both ways, [i.e.,] to be
unable to help us and at the same time to blame us for defending ourselves and our land ." Rustam was reduced to silence.
According to al-Sad - Shucayb - Sayf -`Amr-al-Shacbi and alMigdam al-Harithi - other transmitters mentioned : Rustam summoned the people of al-Hirah (his tent was at that time near the
monastery)'m and said : "0 enemies of God! You are pleased that the
Arabs have forced their way into our country. You have been spying
for them against us. You have reinforced them with money."
zo i. Ibn Buqaylah was one of the leaders ) nugaba') of al-Hirah and the first man to
sue for peace . He cooperated with the Muslims in various ways. See Tabor!, index, s.v.
`Amr b. `Abd al-Masih.
zoz. Probably Dayr al-A`war, see note 197, above.
this has happened because you did not protect us. None of
you who confronted the Arabs was able to hold his ground
against them. Now we are weaker than you are. I swear that
you are preferable to us and have more valor in our eyes. Protect us from the Arabs, and we shall help you. We are like the
scum of the sawad, slaves of those who prevail!
122571
Rustam said: "The man has spoken the truth on your behalf!"
According to al-Safi -Shu`ayb-Sayf-al-NaJr-Ibn al-Rufayl
-his father: Rustam dreamed in the monastery that an angel came,
entered the Persian camp, and put a seal on all the weapons.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad and his companions and al-Nair: When Rustam regained his peace of mind, he
ordered al-jalnus to march from al-Najaf. He set out with the vanguard and camped between al-Najaf and al-Saylahun. Rustam departed also and camped in al-Najaf. Between the departure of Rustam from al-Mada'in, his camping in Sabal, his departure from
there, and his confrontation with Sad four months elapsed. During
this time he did not move forward and did not fight. He was hoping
that the Arabs would become disgusted with the place, would become exhausted, and would leave. He disliked the idea of fighting
them because he was afraid that he would fare no better than those
who [had fought the Arabs) before him. He temporized, but the king
rushed him, incited him, and urged him forward; finally, he forced
his hand [to engage in battle].
When Rustam camped in al-Najaf, he had the dream again and
saw the same angel . With him were the Prophet and `Umar. The angel seized the Persian weapons, put a seal on them, and handed them
to the Prophet.203 The Prophet handed them to Umar. When Rustam
woke up, his gloom increased. Al-Rufayl noticed it and developed a
desire to embrace Islam, and this was the reason for his conversion.
Umar knew that the Persians would temporize with the Muslims. He therefore instructed Sa`d and the Muslims to camp on the
border of Persia and to temporize with the Persians indefinitely, in
order to throw them off balance. The Muslims camped in al-Qadisiyyah. They made up their minds to be patient and to temporize.
God willed to make His light perfect. The Muslims remained [in
no3. Cf. Tha`alibi, Ghurar, 741 .
53
their places] with calm and assurance . They raided the sawdd, plundered the area around them, and gathered the spoils . They prepared
for some protracted maneuvering , and accordingly came prepared to
endure until God should grant them victory. `Omar supplied them
with provisions to supplement what they gained by plunder.
When the Persian king and Rustam saw this, became aware of
their situation, and received information about the deeds of the
Arabs, the king understood that the Arabs were not going to desist
and that, if he were to remain [in his place without doing anything],
the Arabs would not leave him alone . He saw fit to send Rustam
forth. Rustam saw fit to camp between al-'Atiq and al-Najaf, to temporize, and at the same time to engage [the Muslims] in combat.204
He thought that this was the best thing they (i.e., the Persians) could
do until they should achieve the aim of their restraint or until fortune should turn in their favor.
According to al-Sari-Shutayb--Sayf-Mul}ammad, TAah, and [z2.5 8 ]
Ziyid: The raiding parties roamed (the land]. Rustam was in al-Najaf, al-Jalnus between al-Najaf and al-Saylaiun, Dhu al -Hajib between Rustam and al -Jalnus . Al-Hurmuzan and Mihran were in
charge of the two wings, and al -Bayruzan commanded the rear
guard. Zad b. Buhaysh, the ruler of Furat Sirya,?A6 commanded the
infantrymen, and Kanara the light cavalry. The army of Rustam consisted of one hundred and twenty thousand men. Sixty thousand
were accompanied by servants (shnkini; from the [other] sixty thousand, fifteen thousand were noblemen accompanied [by dependents];
and they had chained themselves together in order to bear the brunt
of the fiercest battle 206
z04. It seems that the intended combat was on a small scale, perhaps only occasional duels between two warriors . For mundzalah also nizdl and the special imperative form nazdli), see In Mangy Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v. n-z-1; and Abu Tammi m,
Hamdsah, I, 2.9.
zo5. See Morony, Iraq, 149-50; Yiqut, Mu`jam , III, 87-88.
zo6.Tabarl and other Muslims writers report that both the Byzantines and the Persians used to tie some of their soldiers together with chains , so that they could not
run away from the battlefield . See Balidhuri, Futula, 135, 303 , Ibn Kathy Biddyah,
VII, 441 Tabari , 1, 2089, 2.2 94, 2337, 2 356, 2598, =632.; AbdYusuf, Khardi, 83; Yiqut,
Mu`jam, IV, 9. Cf. de Goeje, M6moire, 121; Christensen, Sassanides, 207; Noth, Studien, 122-2.3.
In a forthcoming article Dr. L. Conrad maintains that the term silsilah, which is
used in some of these texts, originally referred to a Byzantine military formation.
Only later was it taken to mean a chain and a device to prevent soldiers from fleeing
]2259]
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad b. Qays Musa b. Tarif: The people said to Sacd: "We are fed up with this
place. Move forward." Sa`d scolded the speaker and said: "As your
opinion is not needed, do not take the trouble of offering it]. We shall
move forward only on the advice of the people of judgment. Be quiet
as long as we do not speak to you." Sald sent out Tulayhah20l and
`Amr (b. Ma`dikarib) on a scouting mission without horses. Sawad
(b. Malik al-Tamimi) and Humaydah (b. al-Nu`man) set out with
one hundred men each and raided al-Nahrayn.208 Sacd had forbidden
them to venture so far. When Rustam received information about
the raid, he sent his horsemen against them. When Sa`d heard that
Rustam's cavalry had gone in pursuit, he summoned `Agim b. `Amr
and Jabir al-Asadi209 and sent them after Sawad and Humaydah, to
follow in their trail and to take the same way. He said to `Agim: "If
you join battle with the Persians, you will be the commander."
`Agim encountered them between al-Nahrayn and Iglimiya210 The
Persian horsemen were encircling the Arab raiding party, trying to
extract the spoils from their hands. Sawad said to Humaydah:
"Make your choice: either stand up to the Persians and I shall carry
away the spoils, or I shall stand up to them and you shall carry away
the spoils."21 Humaydah replied: "Stand up to them, hold them
back, and I shall deliver the spoils for you."
Sawad held out against the Persians, and Humaydah hastened to
leave . `Agim b. `Amr encountered him. Humaydah thought that it
was another group of Persian horsemen, so he made a turn to avoid
them. When they recognized each other, Humaydah went on with
the spoils. `Agim marched to [the aid of] Sawad. The Persians managed to recover some of the spoils. When they saw `Agim, they fled.
Sawad took possession of what they had recovered and brought the
spoils to Sa`d, returning safe and victorious.
the battlefield. Historically speaking, there were therefore no soldiers who fought fettered (private communication, November 8, 1989 ).
I thank my former student David Marmer for drawing my attention to Dr. Conrad's
work.
:07. Tulayhah b. Khuwaylid al-Asada was an important leader of the riddah. See
Ell, s.v. "Tulaiha b. Khuwailid" (V. Vacca) ; Tabari , I, 1797,1798,187 1 , and index.
:o8. See note 167, above.
213. A commander of the Persian army, also known as Bahman Jadhawayhi, who
defeated the Muslims in the battle of the Bridge . See Tabari, 1, 2.174-75, and index,
s.v, "Bahman Jidhawayhi."
214. A place near al-Sayla}3un . See Yaqut, Mu`jam, II, 409.
215. These are the Muslims who fought with al -Khalid b. al-Walid in the earlier
campaigns in Iraq and Syria . See Donner, Conquests, 2.07, and index.
216. For this meaning of al-hamrd' see Ibn Man;4 Lisdn al-'Arab, s.v h-m-r:
"The Arabs used (the word) al-hamrd' for the non-Arabs whose complexion is mostly
fair, such as the Byzantines, the Persians, and others who lived in their proximity"
Ikdnat al-'Arab taqulu li-'I `a jam alladhina yakunu al-baydd aghlaba alwdnihim
mithl al-Rum wa -al-Furs wa-man $dgabahum innahum al-bamrd'). See Goldzihe;
Muslim Studies, I, 243-44; Morony, Iraq, 197-98.
ing, and some did it afterward. They were allowed to take part in [the
distribution of] the spoils and received shares identical with those
of the [other] participants in the battle of al-Qadisiyyah, i.e., two
thousand [dirhams} each. They asked about the most powerful Arab
tribe, and accordingly associated themselves with the tribe of
Tamim.2 11
When Rustam drew near and camped in al-Najaf , Sad sent out
scouts and ordered them to capture a man whom he could interrogate about the situation of the Persians . The scouts went out, after
some disagreement . After all the Muslims had agreed that a scouting party might consist of from one to ten men, they gave their permission, and Sacd sent outTulayhah with five men and cAmr b. MaIdikarib with the same number. That was on the morning when
Rustam had ordered al-Jalnus and Dhu al-Hajib to march forward.
The Muslims did not have knowledge of their departure from al-Najaf. When the scouts had marched only slightly more than a farsakh,218 they saw the Persian armed men219 and their mounts filling
the outposts of the Taff region.22o
Some of them said: "Return to your amir because he has sent you
out on the assumption that the Persians are [still] in al-Najaf, and
bring the information to him. Return, lest your emeny be forewarned."221 `Amr then said tohis companions : "You are right," but
Tulayhah said to his companions : "You are wrong. You were not
sent to bring information about their mounts (sarb) but simply to 12 2.611
bring back secret information (khubr)." They said: "What do you
want to do? "' ilayhah said : "I wish to brave the Persians or else to
perish." They said: "You are a man with treachery in your soul, but
you will not succeed222 after the killing of 'Ukkashah b. Mingan223
217. Literally "they counted themselves among the Tamim ." In other words, they
became the mawdli of this tribe.
ai8. A farsakh equals approximately 6 kilometers . See Hinz, Masse, 6z.
sig. For masdlil, in this sense, see de Goeje 's Glossary to Baladhuri, Futulj; and to
Tabad.
izo. This seems to be the meaning of Iuf of in this context . For al-Taff, see note 176,
above.
2x1. The text uses the plural form of the imperative, and the translation is literal.
The meaning is "we should return .. ., " etc.
zzz. The Muslims doubt that Tulayl}ah will succeed in becoming a faithful Muslim after his exploits during the riddah rebellion. See note 7 23, below.
2x3. For another description of this episode, see Dinawari, Akhbdr, r 19-:0. In this
version Tulayhah 's companions explicitly accuse him of the desire to join the Per-
A translator was brought in and stood between Sad and the Persian captive. The Persian said: "Will you spare my life if I tell you
the truth? " Sa`d said: "Yes. We prefer truthfulness in war to falsehood." The Persian said:
I shall tell you about this companion of yours before I inform
you about those who are with me . I have participated in
wars, I have heard about heroes , and I have encountered
them from the time when I was a boy until I reached the situation in which you see me now. But I have not seen a man
similar to this one, nor have I heard of one like him. This
man has crossed two camps [so strong) that heroes had not
been courageous enough to take them on. He reached a
[third) camp, which consists of seventy thousand men. Each
of them is attended by five or ten people, or fewer. He was
not content to get out in the same way as he got in; rather, he
robbed a prominent horseman of the army, cut the ropes of
his tent, and thereby alerted him . All of us were also alerted
and went in his pursuit. The first man to catch up with him
zz6. For shdrafa in this sense, see de Goeje's Glossary to Baladhuri, Futu$, s.v
:17. Ma ward'aka is a question frequently addressed to someone who has been sent
out to bring some information . See Maydani, Amthal, BI, 188, 240.
228. Regarding the man 's standing among the Persians.
(.2641 the two slain men, who were my cousins. I saw that death
was imminent, so I submitted myself as a captive.
The prisoner then told Sa`d about the Persians, saying that the army
consisted of one hundred and twenty thousand men, with an equal
number of men serving them. The man embraced Islam, and Sa"d
named him "Muslim."m He then returned to Tulayhah and said:
"By God, you will not be defeated as long as you are as faithful,
truthful, benign, and charitable as I see you now. I do not need [anymore] to be associated with Persia." On that day, he acquitted himself well.u1
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad b. Qays Musa b. Tarif: Sad said to Qays b. Hubayrah al-Asadi: "You heedless man!231 Go forth and care for nothing of this world until you
bring me information about the Persians." Qays set out. Sad also
sent cAmr (b. Ma`dikarib) and Tulayhah. Qays reached the area opposite to the bridge, marched a little, and came upon a large group of
the Persian horsemen, who were emerging from their camp. Rustam
had left al-Najaf and halted where Dhu al-Hajib had been before. Aljalnus also moved, and Dhu al-Hajib camped in his place. Al-Jalnus
went in the direction ofTayzanabad,n3halted there, and ordered the
horsemen to move forward.
man the archers, another man the footmen, and Sawad b. Malik the
scouts. Rustam's vanguard was commanded by al-Jalnus; his two
234. Sa`d's anxiety is probably the result of `Amr b. al-Ma`dikarib's unwillingness
to accept Qays b. Hubayrah as his commander and his threat to renounce Islam; cf.
pp. 2259 - 60, above.
235. Sad demands that past rivalries not be allowed to interfere with the unity of
the Muslims.
[He was alluding to peace but spoke about the good deeds of the Persians. His purpose was peace, but he did not say so explicitly].
Zuhrah said:
:38. A place in the vicinity of al-Kufah, on the way to Mecca . See Yaqut, Muyam,
11, 456-
You have spoken the truth. In the past the situation was as
you described it. But our concern is not what the concern of
our forbears was, and our desire is different from theirs. We
did not come to you looking for things of this world; our desire and aspiration is the hereafter. In the past we were as
you said; those of us who came to your country were obedient to you, humbled themselves before you, and sought what
was in your hands. Then God sent to us a Prophet, who
called us to his Lord, and we responded. God said to His
Prophet: "I have given to this community dominion over
those who did not embrace my religion. By means of this
community I shall take revenge upon those, and I shall
make this community prevail as long as they affirm this religion. This is the religion of truth; none will shun it without suffering humiliation, and none will embrace it without
gaining honor and strength."
Rustam said: "And of what does it consist? " Zuhrah said: "Its essential pillar239 is to testify that there is no god except Allah and that
Muhammad is His messenger, and to affirm what he has brought
from God." Rustam said: "Excellent! And what else? "Zuhrah said:
"To extricate people from servitude to (other) people and to make
them servants of God." Rustam said: "Good. And what else? "
Zuhrah said: "Men are sons of Adam and Eve, brothers born of the
(:s69] same father and mother." Rustam said: "How excellent is this!"
And he added: "If I agree to this matter and respond to you, together
with my people, what will you do? Will you return (to your
country)? " Zuhrah said: "By God, indeed we will, and we shall
never draw near your land except for [purposes of] trade or some necessity." Rustam said: "You have spoken to me truthfully. But, by
God, since Ardashir240 ascended the throne, the Persians did not allow any lowly person to leave his work. They used to say: 'If they
leave their work, they overstep their bounds and become hostile to
their nobles."' But Zuhrah said to him: "We are the best people for
the sake of others. We cannot be as you say. We obey God with regard
to the lowly, and we are not harmed if someone disobeys God with
regard to us."
s; 9. Literally "Its pillar, without which none of its parts is sound.... "
240. See note 17 8, above.
The same tradition was transmitted also by al-Sari - Shucayb Sayf-Muhammad, Talhah, and Ziyad: They [also] said: Sacd sent
for al-Mughirah b. al-Shu`bah, Busr b. Abi Ruhm, and `Arfajah b.
Harthamah,241 Hudhayfah b. Milan, 242 Rib`i b. `Amir,243 Qirfah b.
Zahir al-Taymi al-Wathili, Madh`ur b. 'Adi al- 'Ijli 244 Mu4arib b.
Yazid al-cljli,245 and Ma`bad b. Murrah al-cIjli, who was one of the [2270]
shrewdest of the Arabs. Said said to them: "I am sending you to the
Persians. What do you think of it? " All of them said: "We shall follow your orders to the utmost. Should something which you did not
mention come up, we shall consider what is the most appropriate
and the most beneficial thing for the people, and we shall tell them."
Sacd said : "This is what prudent people do. Go and prepare yourselves! " Rib i b. `Amir said : "The Persians have their own views
and their customs. If we all come to them, they will think that we
have gone out of our way to honor them, so do not send more than
one man." All of them agreed. Rib i then said: "Send me," so Sa`d
sent him [alone].
Rib i set out in order to enter into Rustam 's camp. The Persians
on the bridge arrested him, and he was sent to Rustam immediately
upon his arrival. Rustam consulted the Persian dignitaries and
asked them: "What do you think? Should we enter into a contest
241. See Ibn Sad, Tabaqut, IV/ii, 78; (L I Ibn al-Ath-rr, Usd, III, 401; Ibn llajar,
IIdbah, V, 271.
242. Hudhayfah b. Miligan al -Qalfini (or al-Ghalfini) later became governor of
`Umin on behalf of Abu Bakr and governor of Yamimah on behalf of `Omar . See (`I.)
In al-Athk Usd, I, 390; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, 11, 44 no. 1648.
243. Rib i b . `Amir also participated in the battle of Nihiwand and later became
governor of Tukhiristin . See Ibn Hajar, 1$6bah, II, 454-55 no. 2574; Crone, Slaves,
I18-19.
244. See Ibn Hajar; IIdbah, VI, 63-64 no. 7867; (`L) Ibn al-Ateir, Usd, IV, 342.
245. See Ibn Hajar, I8nbah, VI, 125 no. 8o11 . For a discussion of the historicity or
otherwise of this list, see Noth, Studien, 95 -96.
247. The text reads sarir al-dhahab, "golden seat," but see Sadan, Le mobilier, 5 r.
See this work, passim, for materials on bisd4, numruq, and wisddah.
248. Rumb ma`ltib is a spear bound with sinews ('ilbd') taken from a camel's
neck. The Arabs used to bind a cracked spear with a fresh and moist sinew, which
would then dry out and make the weapon strong and usable again. Cf. Schwarzlose,
Waf fen, 23 3-34. This carries in our context a special significance: It reflects the rugged ways of the Arabs-which are considered praiseworthy-in contradistinction to
the luxury of the Persians. See Bukhari, $ahih, II, 226 (Kitdb al-jihad, bdb 83!: "The
conquests were accomplished by people whose swords were not embellished by gold
and silver but by sinews, lead, and iron" (la-qad fataha al-futnha qawmun ma kdnat
bilyatu suyufihim al-dhahab wa-ld al-fiddah wa-innama kdnat hilyatuha al--`alabi
wa-al-dnuk wa-al-hadid!.
249. Rib 'i is about to meet Rustam , not Yazdagird, but high officials of the Persian
empire were frequently called "kings." See Morony, Iraq, 186-87.
25o. For this meaning of addt, see Ibn Manznr, Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v. '-d-w: Glossary, s.v. '-d-w. For the comparison of the shield with a pond, see Schwarzlose, Waffen, 348.
this matter until both parties consider it? It Rib `i said : "How long a [z272)
:S r. It may be worthwhile to speculate on the symbolic content of this description.
The lower end (zujj) of the spear was not normally used to stab the enemy but rather
to stick the weapon into the ground. It was therefore a symbol of peaceful intentions.
In our context the zujj is, indeed, stuck into the ground, but in a way that destroys
the objectionable finery of the Persians. That the lower end of the spear is described
as being as sharp as the blade may be taken as a hint that peaceful resolution of the
conflict is not envisaged . See Ibn MaMiir, Lisdn a1-`Arab, s.v. z-j-j; Schwarzlose,
Waf fen, 23 2, and index , Anbari, Shar11 al-gasd'id, 290-81 (on the Mu`allagah of Zuhayr b. Abi Sulma, v 47).
Rustam went into private consultation with the Persian chieftains and said : "What is your opinion? Have you ever heard a statement more lucid and more honorable that the statement of this
man? " They said: "May God save you from inclining toward something like that and abandoning your religion to this dog! Did you not
see his clothing? " Rustam said: "Woe to you! Do not look at his
:5 i. This is a reference to the idea that an assurance of safety or protection given
by any Muslim is binding on the entire community. See Bukhiri, $abib, II, x96 (Kitab al-jizyah, bab ro (: "The assurance of safety or protection of the Muslims is one;
the most humble of them is entitled to take it upon himself" (dhimmat al-muslimin
wa-jiwdruhum wdhidah yas'd bihd adnahum (. Explaining this tradition , Qastallini
( Irshad, V, 238( says : "Whoever gives an assurance of safety to someone from the People of War, his assurance is binding on all the Muslims . It is immaterial whether he is
lowly or noble, slave or free, man or woman " ( inna kulla man 'aqada amanan liabadin min ahl al-barb jdza amdnuhu'ald jami`al-muslimin daniyyan kdna aw
Shari fan `abdan awhurran ra;ulan aw imra'atan!. See also Bukhiri, II, 298 ; Qastallini, Irshad, V, 243; and Tabari, Jihad, z5ff.
[2274] honor, made his horse stand on our finery, and tied him to it.
He came on an auspicious day [for him] and bore away our
land and all that is in it to them.253 He had superior intelligence. The second one came today. He stopped here on an
auspicious day, standing on our land before us.
This continued until Rustam and his companions enraged each
other. On the next morning, Rustam sent a message, saying: "Send
another man to us," so the Muslims sent al-Mughirah b. Shubah.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Abu `Uthman al-Nahdi:
When al-Mughirah reached the bridge and crossed over to the Persians, they detained him and asked Rustam for permission to let
him pass. They did not change anything in the setting in order to intensify their disdain. When al-Mughirah b. Shu`bah arrived, the Persians were in their attire, wearing crowns and clothing laced with
gold. Their carpets were a bow shot long. Nobody could reach their
chief without walking on them all this distance. Al-Mughirah came
in, having four locks of hair on his head. He walked through and sat
down with Rustam on his seat and cushion.254 The Persians fell
upon him, seized him violently, dragged him down, and gave him a
light beating. Al-Mughirah said:
254. This tradition can be found in Abu Yusuf, Khardj, 83. According to Abu Yusuf's version , al-Mughirah seated himself on Rustam 's throne on purpose, in order to
provoke his anger.
The lowly people said : "By God, the Arab is speaking the truth."
The landowners ( dahagin) said : "By God, he has said things to
which our slaves have always been inclined . May God curse2ss our
forbears! How foolish they were when they disparaged this nation!"
Rustam made a joke in order to blot out [the impression of] what
had been done. He said : "0 Arab, the king's attendants sometimes
do things with which the king does not agree, but he is soft on them
for fear that he would destroy their willingness to do the right thing
[in the future ]. We are faithful and truthful, the way you want us to
be. And what are the spindles that you have with you? "256 Al-Mughirah said: "A burning coal does not deteriorate because it is not
long." He then competed with them in shooting arrows . Rustam
said: "Why is your sword old? " and al-Mughirah replied : "Its covering is shabby, but its blade is sharp," and he fought a mock fight
with them . Rustam said : "Speak, or shall I myself speak? "AlMughirah said: "You are the one who sent for us , so speak!"
Rustam ordered the translator to take his place between them.
Rustam began to speak . He praised his people and glorified them,
saying:
We are firmly established in the land, victorious over our
enemies, and noble among the nations . None of the kings
has our power, honor, and dominion. We triumph over others, and they do not triumph over us, except for a day or two,
or a month or two, and this is [only] because of our
transgressions. When God takes His revenge to His satisfac - [2276]
tion, He will restore our honor and we shall assemble for our
enemy [an army which will fight him on] the worst day that
255. For this meaning of gatalahu Allah, see Ibn Manznr, Lisan al-`Arab, s.v
q-t-1.
256. Cf. p. 2236, above.
72
122771
tions with regard to you, looked into your affair, and said that one of [2278]
your eyes would be put out tomorrow"'2" The messenger did as he
:6o. This is to say that, if the Arabs had been ungrateful to God, He would have
brought upon them suffering of such magnitude that their former tribulations would
appear merely as acts of His mercy when compared with it.
2.61. By the Muslims who had met Rustain before al-Mughirah.
262. Paraphrasing Qur'an 9:29.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad - `Ubaydallah - Nafi' - Ibn Umar: The translator of Rustam was a man
from al-Hirah. His name was `Abbud.
[zz79)
2.67. Muslim jurisprudents and commentators on the Qur'in are concerned with
Rustam replied:
I have spoken to a few people from among you. If they had
only understood what I said, I would have hoped that you
would also understand. Parables are clearer than many a
speech, so I shall therefore apply a parable to you. You must
understand that you were people whose livelihood was meager and whose appearance was shabby, and the places where
you lived were neither fortified nor difficult of access; nor
did you insist on getting what was due to you. We did not
treat you badly, nor did we stop sharing our wealth with you.
Time and again you were forced out of your country [and
into ours] by the drought, and we used to provide you with
[z28 i ] supplies and then send you back home. You used to come to
us as hirelings and merchants, and we treated you well. After you partook of our food, drank of our drink, and rested in
169. 1 am translating according to the version found in ('1.I lbn al-Athir, Kamil, 11,
361: wa-kdnt thaldthatan.
According to al-Sari --Shu`ayb-Sayf-`Umarah b. al-Qa`ga` alPabbi -a man from Yarbuc who was present [at the meeting with
Rustam): Rustam said:
Many of your people took whatever they wanted from our
land; then they were killed or had to run away. He who established this custom among you was better and stronger
than you are. You have seen the situation : Whenever they
took something, some of them were hurt and some of them
escaped and had to abandon whatever they took. With regard to the deeds that you perpetrate, you are like rats who
used to come regularly to a jar full of grain. In the jar there
was an opening . The first rat went in and stayed there. The
other rats began to carry the grain away and to come back
[for more) . They spoke to the rat inside about returning but
He also said:
You are like a fox, emaciated and weak, who entered a vineyard through a hole, and used to eat whatever God wanted
him to eat. The owner of the vineyard saw his condition and
took pity on him. After he stayed in the vineyard for a long
time, he became fat, his condition improved, and his leanness disappeared . He began to behave with pride and selfconceit, to fool around in the vineyard, and to destroy more
than he could eat. This became unbearable for the vineyard
owner, and he said: "I shall not endure this from him." He
took a piece of wood, asked his servants to help him, and
they went after the fox. The fox began to play tricks with
them in the vineyard. When he saw that they did not desist,
12.2831 he tried to get out by means of the hole through which he had
entered, but he got stuck in it; the hole was big enough for
him when he was lean but too small when he became fat.
The vineyard owner caught up with him in this condition
and did not cease beating him until he killed him. You came
here lean; now you have become somewhat fat. Consider the
way in which you will get out.270
275. The idea is that, if the Persians do not embrace Islam and do not agree to pay
the poll tax, then the Muslims will fight them, rather than make peace with them
without securing the payment.
277. The meaning of Annith in this context is not clear . Rimth is a kind of shrub;
ramath means a raft, a worn-out rope, or the remains of milk in the udder after milking. Yiqut ( Mu`jam, I, 211) does not know why the first day of the battle of al-Qidisiyyah was so called.
278. According toTabari (1, 2351) Qidis was a village near `Udhayb (see note 92,
above).
279. `Ayn al-Shams is a spring between al-`Udhayb and al-Qidisiyyah . See Yaqut,
Mu`jam, III, 793
from the palace, and another one outside the palace . At each "hearing
distance, '283 Yazdagird placed a man . When Rustam encamped [at
Sabal], the man in Sabal said : "He has encamped ." The man next to
him said the same. (The information was transmitted in this way]
until the man standing at the door of the king 's hall said it. Yazdagird placed a man at each "hearing distance ."28' When Rustam
camped, moved out, or something happened, the man [on the scene]
described it; then the man next to him said it until it was said by the
man standing at the door of the king's hall. Yazdagird placed men in
this manner between al`Atiq and al-Mada'in. He dispensed with
the messenger service,285 which was the regular way [of gathering informationj.
The Muslims stood in battle lines. Zuhrah (b. Hawiyyah) and
`Agim (b. `Amr) were placed between CAbdallah (b. al-Mu`tamm)
and Shurahbil (b. al-Siml ). The commander of the scouts was
charged with the attack. Sa`d mixed the warriors from the center
with those of the two wings. His herald (munddf) proclaimed:
"Envy is permissible only in jihdd for the sake of God. 0 men, be
envious and jealous of each other in matters of jihdd!"
At that time, Sa`d was not able to ride or sit since he was suffering
from boils. He had to lie face down, leaning on a pillow under his
chest. From the castle he watched the Muslims and sent written or- 122881
ders to Khalid b. `Urfutah, who was in a place lower than his. The
Muslim lines were adjacent to the castle . Khalid was somewhat like
Sa`d's deputy, except that Sa`d was present and watching.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-al-Qasim b. al-Walid alHamdani - his father - Abu Nimran : When Rustam crossed [al`Atiq], Zuhrah and al-Jalnus changed places . Sacd ordered Zuhrah to
move to [Shurahbil] Ibn al-Simt's place, and Rustam ordered al-Jalnus to move to al-Hurmuzan 's place. Sad was suffering from ischial
pain (`irq al-nasa) and from boils and had to lie face down. He appointed Khalid b. cUrfulah as his deputy, but the people turned
against him. Sacd said: "Carry me to an elevated place and let me
observe the army from there." They took him [to such a place] and
283. For this meaning of da`wah, see de Goeje, Glossary; several additional examples of this usage are also noted in the Glossary to BGA, IV,, 234.
284. It is not clear to me what is meant by the expression 'aid kulli marbalatayni
in this context.
285. See EP, s.v "Barid" (D. Sourdel).
he lay down watching the army. The battle line [of the Muslims] was
at the foot of the wall of Qudays.286 Sa`d issued orders to Khalid, and
Khalid transmitted them to the troops.
Some of the leading men conspired against Sacd . He cursed them
and said: "By God, if you were not facing the enemy, I would have
punished you as an example for others ." He imprisoned them and
chained them up in the castle; [the poet] Abu Mihjan al-Thagafi287
was among them . Jarir (b. CAbdallah al-Bajali ) said: "In my oath of
allegiance to the Prophet, I pledged to obey any man whom God
should appoint to lead us, even if he be an Abyssinian slave." Sa'd
said: "From now on nobody will hold the Muslims back from [fighting] their enemy or keep them busy while facing him. [Should this
happen again], it would turn into a custom for which my successors
would be chastised."
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad, Talhah, and
[2.2.89] Ziyad: On that day Sa`d addressed those who were under his command. It was on a Monday in the month of Muharram in the year 14,
after Sa`d vented his rage on those who had opposed Khalid b. al-`Urfulah. Having praised God and extolled Him, he said:
God is the Muth. He has no partner in His dominion and His
words will never go unfulfilled. God has said: "For We have
written in the Psalms, after the Remembrance, 'The earth
shall be the inheritance of My righteous 11281, This
land is your inheritance and the promise of your Lord. God
permitted you to take possession of it three years ago. You
have been tasting it and eating from it, and you have been
killing its people, collecting taxes from them, and taking
them into captivity. All this is by virtue of [the defeats] that
the participants in the previous battles2P9 had inflicted upon
the Persians. Now this army of theirs has come against you.
You are Arab chiefs and notables, the elect of every tribe,
and the pride of those who are behind you. If you renounce
this world and aspire for the hereafter, God will give you
both this world and the hereafter. This will not bring the
death of anyone closer. But, if you should be flagging, weak,
z86. A place in the neighborhood of al-Qadisiyyahj see Yigiit , Mu'jam , IV, 42-43.
187. See note 360, below
z88. Qur'an zi:io5 (Arberry's translation).
289. See note 215 , above.
and feeble, then you will lose your predominance and ruin
your share in the hereafter.
`Agim b. `Amr stood up to address the light cavalry and said:
God has made it permissible for you to fight the people of
this land. In the last three years you have been inflicting
harm upon them and they have not been inflicting harm
upon you. You have the upper hand290 and God is with you.
If you stand firm and fight them with courage, their property, their women, their sons, and their country will be
yours; but should you become flagging and weak-and God
is your protector from this - this [Persian] army will not
spare even a remnant of you for fear that you would bring
perdition upon them again . By God! Remember the (previous ] days [of battle] and remember what God has bestowed upon you. Do you not see that the land behind you is
a desolate desert without a place of hiding or refuge in which
one can take shelter and which is inaccessible [to the enemy]? Place your aspirations on the hereafter!"
2.91. This translation of sayyara fihim is tentative. Cf. sdir in the sense of "current, commonly known!'
[z2,9o)
[2292)
Ghalib said:
O people! Praise God for the favor that He has bestowed
upon you. Ask Him and He will give you more; pray to Him
and He will respond. 0 men of Ma`add,295 what excuse do
you have today? You are in your fortresses (meaning the
horses), and you are in possession of those that do not dis- [22931
obey you (meaning the swords). Remember what the people
will say in the future; tomorrow you will be the first about
whom people will speak, and [only] then they will speak
about those who will follow you.
Ibn al-Hudhayl al-Asadi said:
298. Ma'add is considered an ancestor of the northern Arabs; see Caskell and Strenziok, G;amharat an-nasab, index.
(2294]
O Arabs, fight for the religion and for this world. Hasten to
forgiveness from your Lord and to a garden whose breadth is
as the heavens and the earth , prepared for the God-fearing
ones.302 And if the devil depicts the affair (of this war] as formidable [in order to discourage you], remember the stories
that will be related about you during the fairs and festivals
forever and ever.""'
199. Galloping horses raise clouds of dust that are described here as protecting the
Muslim warriors.
300. Lowering of the eyes is a sign of modesty ; cf. Qur'an :4:30.
301. See Qur 'an 1:13 2.
305. There is no surah bearing this name in the canonical version of the Qur'an. As
de Goeje noted, (`I.) Ibn al-Athir (Kdmil, II, 364) maintains that the intended surah
was Quein 8, "The Spoils" (Surat al-anfal(.
[ 2 295[
112.961 rations. Then he proclaimed it for the third time, and men of valor
went forth and started the battle. Men of similar qualities from
among the Persians went forth and exchanged blows with the Muslims. Ghalib b. `Abdallah al-Asadi went forth, reciting:
The courageous woman, coming to the garrisons,305
306. The text has shuddn al-nawdjidh `ald al-adras.
307. For the changes that the meaning of the Hebrew word shekhinah underwent
in Arabic, see Goldziher, "Sakina."
308. 'IYanslating wdridat al-masalih with Mas'udi , Muruj, IV, zo8 (= ed. Pellat,
11, 55), instead of wdridat al-masd'ih of our text.
310. Mas`iidi, Munij, IV,, 209 1 = ed. Pellat, III, 55), has nasab "lineage," instead of
sabab.
311. Mithli `ald mithlika yughrihi al-`atab is not well connected to the preceding
material; the text is dubious and the meaning not clear. Some manuscripts of Mas%di, Muruj, ed. Pellat, III, 55, have mithli `ald mithlika yughrihi al-katab; both editors of Mas`udi have preferred not to include this line in their text.
31:. See Baghdadi, Tabikh, 71-74; Rodinson, "Recherches," 148, 150.
313. The name Nahd is derived from the same triliteral root as the verb nahada "he
attacked."
According to al-Sari - Shulayb - Sayf - Ismail b. Abi Khalid Qays b. Abi Hazim: cAmr b. Macdikarib passed by us between the
lines and roused the people , saying: "When a Persian drops his spear,
he becomes [stupid like] a goat."
While he was rousing us in this manner, a Persian went forth,
stood between the lines, and shot an arrow. He hit the curved part of
the bow that cAmr was carrying on his shoulders. `Amr turned
toward the Persian, attacked him, and seized him by the neck. Then
he grabbed his belt, lifted him, and threw him down in front of him.
Then he carried him farther, and when he drew near us he broke his
neck. Then he put his sword on his throat and slew him, hurled his
[zz98] corpse down, and said: "This is what you should do to them!" We
said: "0 Abu Thawr,315 who is able to do what you are doing? " According to some transmitters [of the last tradition], except Ismail:
`Amr b. Ma`d-ikarib took from the Persian his two bracelets, his belt,
and a brocaded coat316 that he wore.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf- Ismail b. Abi Khalid Qays b. Abi Hazim: The Persians sent in the direction of the tribe
of Bajilah thirteen elephants.
(22991
Al-Ma`rnr b. Suwayd and Shagiq said : By God, they fell upon the
Persians, stabbed them, and hit them until we were able to keep the
elephants back from Bajilah . The elephants retreated. A Persian
chieftain came out against Tulayhah, but the latter fought him and
killed him in no time.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf_Muhammad, 'Wallah, and
Ziyad: Al-Ashcath b. Qays stood up and said : "O people of Kindah!
How excellent is [the tribe of] Asad! What a feat are they going to accomplish ! How quickly do they use today the sword in defense of
their positions! Every tribe takes care of [defending ] the area next to
them, but you await someone who will save you the trouble. I bear
witness that today you have not followed well the example of your (23001
317. The Cairo edition reads badara (instead of badarnj al-muslimfna al-shaddata `alayhim Dhu al-Hajib wa-al-/dlnus; in this version Dhu al-Hajib and al-Jalnus would be the subjects of the sentence . The editor does not indicate the basis of
this version, and it does not seem to be in any way superior to that of the Leiden edition.
318.1Yanslating yashmu$una instead of yashmusuna of the text. The two roots are
interchangeable . See de Goeje's Glossary, s.v; and Ibn Man;ur, Lisdn al-Arab, s.v.
sh-m-s.
[ 2 304]
326. Meaning that al-Muthanna had never been in a military situation so difficult
as the one in which this unit finds itself.
327. As noted by de Goeje, a-ghayratan wajubnan? became a proverb and was included in al-Maydini, Amthdl , II, 415 - t6. It is used to describe a person flawed by
two vices.
328. This geographical note by Tabari appears in almost identical form in Yiqut,
Mu`jam , IV, 539.
33 3. This should be understood in light of the extremely high value placed on martyrdom in the Islamic tradition . Al-Qa`gi` says, in effect, that, if his men had been
336. This name refers to Dhu al -Hajib, who was mentioned above.
337. Meaning that the killing of men is what the swords are for.
340. Both Walibah and Faq'as were tribal subdivisions of Asad . See Caskel and
Strenziok, Gamharat, an-nasab, I, So.
12 3091
341. For grammatical considerations with regard to the expression ladun ghudwatan, see lbn Mansur, Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v. 1-d-n.
342. For ukhrd al-laydli al-qhawdbiri in this sense, see Arazi, Poesie arabe, 76.
343. Cf. note 278 , above.
344 The text has mutdradah . The more usual term for individual combat is mubdrazah ( see Fries, Heereswesen , 8o(, but the description that follows indicates that
mutdradah is used here in a similar sense.
A member of the tribe of Tamim , whose name was Sawad and who
was defending his kinsmen,345 launched an attack, courting martyrdom. He was mortally wounded3" after he launched the attack, but
martyrdom was slow in coming. He stood up against Rustam, determined to kill him, but was himself killed before he could reach
him.
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - al-Ghusn - al `Ala' b . 123101
Ziyad and al-Qasim b . Sulaym-his father: A Persian warrior came
forth, calling out: "Who is going to fight me? " Ilba ' b. Jalsh al-9jli
went forth against him . `Ilba' struck the Persian with his sword and
pierced his chest, but the Persian struck `Ilba' with his sword and
disemboweled him. Both fell to the ground , the Persian dying immediately. As for `llba', his bowels spilled out and he could not get
up; he attempted to put his bowels back but was unable to do it.
Then a Muslim passed by, and Illba' said : "0 so-and-so, help me
with my belly!" The Muslim put his bowels back , and dIlba' held the
slit skin of his belly together and rushed toward the Persian lines,
without turning his face to the Muslims. Death befell him thirty
cubits from the place where he had been struck, in the direction of
the Persian lines. He recitedI hope I shall receive reward for this from our Lord;
I was one of those who fought well.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb_Sayf- al-Ghusn - al-`Ala' and
al-Qasim - his father: A Persian warrior went forth, calling out:
"Who is going to fight me?" Al-A`raf b. al-Aclam al-Ugayli went
forth against him and killed him. Then another Persian came forth
and al-A`raf killed him as well. Then Persian horsemen surrounded
him and threw him down; his weapon dropped to the ground and the
345. Itanslating al-`ashirah, according to the Cairo edition, instead of a1-`asharah
of the Leiden text.
346. The text has qutila "he was killed," but this does not make sense in the context . The suggested translation is not supported in the classical dictionaries. It is
based on an inference from the meaning of maqtal "a place in the body where a
wound causes death !'
This is another instance of an early Muslim warrior's actively seeking martyrdom.
Descriptions of such attitudes abound in classical Islamic literature; the Prophet
himself is reported to have expressed his desire to experience martyrdom and then to
be revived in order to experience it again and again . See Bukhiri, $ahih, II, 201 1 Kitdb
al-jihdd, bdb tamanni al-shahddah).
347 For a general survey of the classical Arabic poetic meters , see EP, s.v. I'Aruci"
JG. Weil).
348. The poet entertains the hope that a great number of people from his tribe will
be admitted to Paradise as a reward for his valor.
349 For jayyashah in this sense, see Bevan, Naga'id, 98711.9- 14; and Glossary,
311; for a description of blood spurting out of the wound and frothing , see Abu Tammam, Uamdsah,1, 3 z9, above . See also de Goeje's Glossary, s.vv j-y-sh, h-d-r.
3 50. For gawm in this sense see note i i i, above.
3 51. The poem can be found in a different (and to my mind unsatisfactory ) version
in Mas`udi, Murdj, IV, ii t) = ed. Pellat, 111, 57). The French translation in the first
edition of Muru j is also unacceptable.
103
3 57. This sentence is not very clear. It may mean that the Muslims, who were victorious on the Day of Aghwith , spent the following night celebrating and dividing the
spoils, in the same way that the Persians had spent the Night of Armith, after they
had inflicted heavy casualties on the Muslims (five hundred Asadis had been killed
then; seep. 230 r, above).
358. The text is yantamana. In a similar description Mas`udi (Muruj, IV 253; ed.
Pellat, 111, 58) has intimd' al-nds ild dbd'ihim wa-`ashd'irihim . See also note 404,
below.
12-313]
means that] they are stronger than their enemy. If they are quiet and
the Persians do not proclaim their affiliations, do not wake me, because [this means that] they are equal. If you hear the Persians proclaiming their affiliations, wake me up, because their proclamation
portends evil."
They related: The battle intensified during that night .359Abfl
Mihjan360 was imprisoned and fettered in the palace. In the evening
he went up to Said and asked his forgiveness, but Sa cd repelled him
and sent him back . Abu Mihjan came to Salmi bint Khagafah361 and
said: "0 Salmi, 0 daughter of the clan of Khagafah! Will you do me
a favor?" She said: "And what is that? " He said : "Set me free and
lend me al-Balga' .362 By God, if He keeps me safe, I shall come back
to you and put my feet back in the fetters." She said: "What have I to
do with this? " Abu Mihjan started again to drag his feet in the fetters, and recited:
366. For the legendary figure of al-Khadir in the Islamic tradition, see EP, s.v "alKhadir" (A. J. Wbnsinck).
367. But see the traditions about the participation of angels in the battle of Badr in
Tabor!, Dfsir IV, soff. (on Qur'an 3:124-25).
[2314)
[2315)
I07
morning of the third day, the Muslims and the Persians were in their
positions. The area between the two armies - meaning the stony
tract (harrah) -was like a reddish watercourse (rijlah llamrd') 369
The area between the two battle lines was one mile in width. Muslim casualties were two thousand wounded and dead, and the casualties of the polytheists were ten thousand wounded and dead. SaIld
said : "He who wishes will wash the martyrs, and he who wishes
will bury them in their blood."370
The Muslims approached the fallen, took care of them, and placed
them in the rear. Those who collected the bodies carried them to the
graveyards and delivered the wounded to the women. Hajib b. Zayd
was responsible for the care of the martyrs. For two days, on the Day
of Aghwath and the Day of Armath, the women and the children
were digging graves on both sides of the Musharriq valley.371 Two
thousand and five hundred of those who fought at al-Qadisiyyah and
in the previous battles were buried. Hajib, some of the martyrs,371
and the martyrs' kinsmen passed near the trunk of a palm tree between al-Qadisiyyah and al-cUdhayb, there being at that time no
other palm tree between these two places. When the wounded were
being carried away, they reached this tree. One of them, who was in
the state of consciousness, asked to be allowed to stop under it and
rest in its shade. Another wounded man, whose name was Bujayr,
sheltered in its shade and recited:
O solitary palm tree between Qadis
and al cUdhayb, be safe and well!
369. Probably because of the blood spilled in the fighting.
370. Sa`d's statement reflects the different views expressed in Islamic tradition on
whether martyrs (shuhada') have to be ritually washed before burial. According to a
tradition reported in the canonical collections, the Prophet ordered the burial of the
martyrs of the battle of U1 ud "in their blood " (idfinnhum ft dima ihim ); see Bukhari, Sahib. I, 337 last line - 338, and Vknsinck et al., Concordance, s.v d-f-n, for
further references . The commentators explain this ruling in several ways. Some say
that the martyrs' blood will diffuse scent (yafubu miskan) on the Day of judgment
(and therefore must be left unwashed ). Others maintain that the angels perform the
ritual washing for the martyrs (Qastallini, Irshad, 11, 443). The fact that the martyrs
are not washed as are the other dead is also said to be an indication of their being alive,
according to Qur'in 3:r69 (`Ayni, `Umdat al-gar', VIII, 354). See also `Abd al-Razziq, Mu.sannaf, III, 540-48; Sarakhsi, Sharb al-siyar, I, 232-37.
The opposite view, which favors the performance of ritual washing for the martyrs,
is attributed to al-Hasan al-Basri and Said b . al-Musayyab (Qastallani, Irshdd, II,
443, and 'Ayni, `Umdat al-qdn", VIII, 154.
373. Cf. note 328, above.
[23171
123191
ro9
374 A village in the vicinity of al-Kufah . See Yagiit, Mu`iam, II, 456.
375. For a suggestion that ray be interpreted in this way, we Fries, Heereswesen,
64.
376. Thkhruquhum is to be understood in light of the expression kharaqa ;afjahum; see Baladhuri, Futn11, 258.
377. Cf. P. 2301 , above.
[2311]
The battle went on in this manner till the end of daylight. The battle on the Day of `Imas was heavy throughout the day, the Arabs and
the Persians being equal. When the smallest thing occurred between them, the Persians would shout the information to each other
until it reached Yazdagird'37, and he would send to them the reinforcements that he still had so that the Persians were strengthened
by them. He had reinforcements at the postal stations, keeping them
[for such an eventuality as] he had faced on the previous day. If God
had not favored the Muslims by inspiring al-Qa`ga` in the two days
of battle, and if He had not made things easier for them by the arrival
of Hashim, the Muslims would have been routed.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Mujalid - al-Sha`bi:
Hashim b. `Utbah came from the direction of Syria with seven
hundred men after the victories at al-Yarmuk and at Damascus, accompanied by Qays b. Makshuh al-Muradi. He hastened with seventy men, among who was Sa`Id b. Nimran al-Hamdani.
According to Mujalid: Qays b. Abi Hazim was in Hashim's vanguard with al-Qa`ga`.
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - Jakhdab b. Jar`ab - `I^mah al-Wabili, who took part in the battle of al-Qadisiyyah:
Hashim came from Syria with the Iraqis. He hastened forward with
men, almost all of whom were from Iraq, except for very few. Ibn
Makshuh was among these. When he drew near [al-Qadisiyyah], he
hastened forward with three hundred men and reached the Muslims
when they were in their positions . His men joined the Muslim battle
lines.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Mujalid-al-Sha`bi: The
third day [of the battle of al-Qadisiyyah] was the Day of `Imas.
Among the battle days of al-Qadisiyyah there was none like this,
and the two armies emerged from it equal. Everybody endured his
suffering patiently; whatever the Muslims inflicted upon the infidels, the infidels inflicted upon the Muslims, and whatever the in378. Cf. P. 2x87, above.
the Persians until he reached the place that they mentioned . Ac- [2.322]
cording to al-Sari - Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad, Talhah, and Ziyad: Hashim was in the right wing.
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb - Sayf- `Amr b. al-Rayyan-Isma it b. Muhammad: We saw that Hashim b . cUtbah was in charge
of the right wing. Most of the Muslims were shielded only with saddle cloths across which they fastened leafless palm branches; those
who did not have any protection bound their heads with girths.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf- Abu Kibran - al-Hasan
b. `Ugbah : Qays b. al-Makshuh said upon his arrival from Syria
with Hashim, standing among those who were next to him:
0 Arabs! God has favored you with Islam and has honored
you with Muhammad; may God pray for him and grant him
peace! By the grace of God you have become brethren. Your
call is one and you are united. [All this happened ] after you
had been attacking each other like lions and violently abducting each other like wolves. Help God , so that He may
help you! Ask God to grant you victory over the Persians, because He has already fulfilled His promise to give your
brethren victory over Syria and to wrest [from their enemies] the excellent castles and palaces [there].
(23231
[23241
for should you be late, you will lose Abu Thawr,379 and where
are you going to find for yourselves again someone like Abu
Thawr? When you reach me, you will find me with a sword
in my hand.
He launched an attack, started fighting them without delay, and was
kept out of sight by the dust . His companions said : "What are you
waiting for? You are not likely to reach him in time, and, if you lose
him, the Muslims will have lost their (choice] horseman." They
launched an attack, following which the polytheists let `Amr b. Ma`dikarib loose after they had thrown him down and stabbed him. He
was fighting them, holding the sword in his hand, his horse having
been stabbed . When he saw his companions and the Persians disengaged themselves from him , he seized the leg of a Persian soldier's
horse. The rider spurred him on, but the horse was agitated (and did
not move]. The Persian turned toward `Amr and intended to kill
him. When the Muslims saw this , they struck him. The Persian dismounted from his horse and hastened to join380 his companions.
`Amr said: "Let me have his reins," and they gave the reins to him
and he mounted the horse.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-`Abdallah b. al-Mughirah
al `Abdi - al-Aswad b. Qays - their elders who participated in the
battle of al-Qadisiyyah: On the Day of `Imas, a Persian went forth,
stood between the battle lines , and called out in a sonorous voice:
"Who is going to fight me ? " A man from among us, whose name was
Shabr b. `Algamah, and who was short, slender, and ugly, said: "Oh
Muslims ! This man has dealt with you fairly, but nobody has responded to him and nobody has gone forth to fight him." Then he
said: "By God, if it were not that you would treat me with contempt,
I would go forth to fight him." When he saw that no one was preventing him from taking his sword and his shield ,381 he went forward. When the Persian saw Shabr, he roared, dismounted near him,
bore him down, and then sat on his chest and grasped his sword in
order to slay him. The halter of the Persian's horse was tied to his
379 This was the kunyah of `Amr b. Ma'dikarib.
380. I am translating hddara according to the gloss in note h to this page in the
Leiden edition.
38 r. Hajafah is a shield made of camel skins sewed one over another . See Lane, Lexicon, s.v.
belt, and when the Persian drew his sword, the horse swerved so that
the halter pulled him and overturned him. While the Persian was
being dragged, Shabr trampled upon him . Shabr's companions
shouted at him. Shabr said : "Shout as much as you like , but by God
I shall not leave him until I kill him and plunder his possessions."
Then Shabr slew the Persian, took his possessions, and brought the
corpse to Sad, who said : " Come to me at the time of the noon
prayer." Shabr brought the spoils to Sa `d, who praised God, glorified
Him, and said: "I see fit to give him the spoils ; whoever actually
takes spoils, they are his." Shabr sold [the spoils] for twelve thousand
[dirhams].
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad,Talhah, and
Ziyad: When Sad saw the elephants ' driving a wedge between the
Muslim units and doing again what they had done on the Day of Armath, he sent for IDakhm, Muslim, Rafic, `Ashannaq, and their Persian companions who had embraced Islam. When they came to him,
he asked them whether the elephants have vital organs where a
wound would cause death (maqdtil). They said: "Yes, the trunks
and the eyes; when these are gone, the elephants are of no use." Sacd
sent a message to al-Qa`ga` and `Agim, the two sons of cAmr, saying:
"Take care of the white elephant for me ." All the elephants were
following the white one, which was stationed opposite al-Qacga`
and `Agim. Sa`d sent a message to Hammal (b. Malik) and to al-Ribbil (b. cAmr), saying: "Take care of the scabby elephant for me." All
the elephants were following the scabby one, which was opposite
Hammal and al-Ribbil. Al-Qa`ga` and Aim took two solid but flexible spears, moved forward with the horsemen and footmen, and
said: "Surround the elephant in order to confuse him." Meanwhile,
al-Qa`ga` and `Agim were intermingling with the Persians , and
Hammal and al-Ribbil did the same. When they came close to the elephants and surrounded them , each elephant looked right and left,
preparing to hit the ground with his feet , and while the elephant was
distracted by those around him al-Qa`ga` and Aim launched an attack and simultaneously pierced the eyes of the white elephant with
their spears . The elephant roared, shook his head, threw off his rider,
and let his trunk hang down . Al-Qa`ga` struck him and threw
3 8 z. This translation takes into account the version of In Hubaysh , mentioned in
note I to this page in the Leiden edition : al-uiyalah tatba`uhu.
[2325)
(2327]
[232.8]
Umar had instructed Sa`d not to put the [former] leaders of the
apostates [ ahl al-riddah) in charge of a hundred men,386 but when
they arrived at the crossing and did not see anybody at it , Tulayhah
said: " If only we could cross here [to attack ] the Persians from behind !" but `Amr said : " Nay, we should cross farther downstream."
Tulayhah said: " What I suggest is more beneficial to the Muslims,"
but `Amr said : " You are asking me to do what I cannot do ." So they
parted company. Tulayhah went alone in the direction of the [Persian] camp across al `Atiq, and `Amr went downstream with the
companions of both. They then attacked, and the Persians rushed
against them.
Sa`d was apprehensive of what had happened between Tulayhah
and `Amr and sent after them Qays b. al-Makshuh with seventy
men. Qays was one of the [former] leaders [of the apostates ], and Sad
was forbidden to put him in command of one hundred men. Sa`d
said: "If you catch up with them, you are in command." So Qays
went after them . When he arrived at the crossing, he found the Persians repelling `Amr and his companions, so the Muslims [who
came with Qays] drove [the Persians away ) from him. Qays however
approached `Amr and rebuked him, and they reviled each other. The
companions of Qays said to cAmr : " Qays has been made commander over you." cAmr fell silent , then said: "Is a man whom I
fought in the Jahiliyyah for a lifetime assuming command over
me? "387 and he returned to camp.
Tulayhah moved forward , and when he was opposite the dam,388
he proclaimed three times " God is most great!" and then he went
away. The Persians went in pursuit but did not know which way he
had taken. He went downstream, crossed [al-`Atiq], came to Sacd,
and reported to him. All this pressed hard on the polytheists. The
Muslims were glad but did not know what had happened.
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb-Sayf-Qudamah al-Kahili-the
person who informed him: [There were] ten brothers from Banu Kihil b. Asad, called the sons of Harb . On that night one of them began
to compose rajaz poems and said:
117
`Ifaq was one of the ten brothers . The hip of the author of the poem
was hurt on that day, and he recited:
Endure, `Ifaq: these are the Persians horsemen;
endure, and do not let a lost leg distract your attention!391
He died of his wounds on the same day.
According to al-Sari- Shu`ayb -Sayf- al-Nacir-Ibn al-Rufayl
-his father - Humayd b . Abi Shajjir: Sacd sent Tulayl}ah on an errand, but he neglected it, crossed al-`Atiq, and went to the Persian
camp. When he stood at the barrier in the canal ,392 he proclaimed
"God is most great !" three times. He frightened the Persians, and
the Muslims were amazed. The two armies disengaged from each
other to investigate the matter; the Persians sent [someone] to do it,
and the Muslims asked about it. Then [the Persians ] returned and
restored their battle order, starting to do things which they had not
done during the three days of battle. The Muslims were also arrayed
in their battle order. Tulayhah started saying [to the Persians]: "May
you never lack the man who [resolved ] to destroy you! "393
389. Tkanslating idh kariha al-mawta with the Cairo edition, rather than adhkarahu al-mawta of the Leiden text . This superior reading can also be found in Ibn Durayd, Ishtiqdq, 248. lbn Durayd also says that the kunyah Abu Islaaq refers to Sa'd b.
Abi Waggag, who did not take an active part in the battle on account of his illness.
39o. Literally "the soul heaved (and reached the clavicles )"; cf. Qur in 75:26, where
"when !the soul) reached the clavicles " ( idhd balaqhat /al-nafsl al-taragi) is taken to
be a sign of imminent death . See Tabari, Tbfsir, XIX, 121.
391. The poet seems to be asking his brother not to be distracted from the fighting
by the desire to take care of his wound.
A very similar verse is attributed to Hayyish b. Qays al -A`war b. Qushayu; who became famous for his reported bravery at the battle of Yarmuk. The verse reads;
aqdim khiddmu innahd al-asdwirah
wa-ld taqhurrannaka sdqun nddirah.
Khidhim is the name of a horse; Hayyish is reported to have lost a leg without being
aware of it . See Elad; "'And he who seeks his leg ... " the verse is quoted on P. 244.
See also Jawiligi, Mu`arrab, 69; and Ibn Durayd, famharat al-lughah, II, z1 S.
392.. See p . 2285 , above.
1232-91
[2330)
Masud b. Malik al-Asadi, `A$im b. `Amr al-Tamimi, Ibn Dhi alBurdayn al-Hilali, Ibn Dhi al-Sahmayn, Qays b. Hubayrah al-Asadi,
and people like them went forth, fought the Persians, and hastened
into battle. The Persians stood together, did not charge, and wanted
to move only in formation. They sent forward a line with two
"ears,"394 followed by another and a third and a fourth, until their
lines numbered thirteen in the center and in the two wings. When
the horsemen of the [Arab] army moved against the Persians, they
shot at them, but this did not change the course in which they were
riding. Then the [Persian] units caught up with the [Muslim] horsemen. Khalid b. Yacmar al-Tamimi al-`Umari was killed on that
night. Al-Qa`ga` launched an attack advancing in the direction from
which Khalid had been shot. The Muslims were in distress. Then alQa`ga` recited:
0 Khawga'; may God water the grave of Ibn Yamar!
When those who were leaving departed, he did not depart.395
May God water the land where Khalid's grave is situated,
with rain pouring from thunderous morning clouds!
I took an oath that my sword will not stop slaying them,
and [even] if men withdraw, I shall not do the same.
With the Muslims under their flags, al-Qa`ga` moved against the
Persians, without Sa`d's permission . Sacd said : "0 God, forgive him
and grant him victory! I have given him permission, though he did
not ask for it."396 The Muslims were in their positions, except those
who were forming military units or were fighting the Persians. They
were arrayed in three lines. The infantrymen, armed with spears
and swords, constituted one line; the second line was made of the
archers; and the third one of the horsemen who stood in front of the
infantrymen. The right wing and the left wing were arrayed in the
same way. Sacd said: "By God, the thing to do is what al-Qa`ga` did.
When I proclaim 'God is most great!' three times, move forward."
When he proclaimed "God is most great!" [for the first time], the
Muslims prepared themselves, all of them being in agreement with
Sa`d. The fiercest battle was raging around al-Qa`ga` and around
those who were with him.
394. Lahu udhunani; see Fries, Heereswesen, 7z n. 5.
395. The verse praises Ibn Ya' mar's perserverance on the battlefield.
396. Seep. 233z, below.
[233=1
121
They fought vehemently until the morning; this was the Night of
Howling.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad b. Nuwayrah-his uncle Anas b. al-Hulays: I participated in [the battle of] the
Night of the Howling. On that night the sound of the steel [ swords
hitting each other] was like the sound produced by locksmiths, and
it went on until the morning . The Muslims were inspired with
abundant endurance.402 Sa `d spent a night the like of which he had
never spent before, and the Arabs and the Persians saw things the
like of which they had not seen before. The sounds of voices and information [about the events] had not reached Rustam and Sa`d,403
and Sacd began to pray, until at sunrise the Muslims proclaimed
their tribal affiliation;404 Sacd inferred from this that they had the
upper hand and that victory was theirs.
[2333]
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - `Amr b. Muhammad al-A`war b. Bayan al-Mingari : The first thing that Sacd heard on
that night, the thing that was an indication that victory would be
theirs in the second, remaining part of the night, was the voice of alQa`ga` b. `Amr, who recited:
We have killed a crowd or more,
four, five, and one.
Above the horses' manes we are considered venomous snakes;
when they died, I prayed fervently.
God is my Lord, and I purposely guard myself from sin.405
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb-Sayf-`Amr-al-A`war and Muhammad - his uncle and al-Natlr - Ibn al-Rufayl: They fought on
that night from its beginning till sunrise. They did not speak: their
speech was howling, and the night was therefore called the Night of
Howling.
402. For the expression afragha `alayhim al-gabra, see Qnz'an =50,7:126.
403. This seems to mean that the methods of transmitting information devised by
the Persians and the Arabs broke down because of the fierce battle. Seep. 2287, above.
404. It is difficult to decide what is the best version. The Leiden edition reads ibtahd in the sense of iftakhara "he boasted." In comparing this passage with p. 2312
11.9-13, it seems preferable to read intamd "he proclaimed his tribal affiliation," following ('I.) Ibn al-Aft Kdmil, II, 373 1.7; this version is noted in the critical apparatus of the Leiden edition. For another example of this usage of intamd, seeTabari,
I, 21931. 5, and note 358, above.
[2334]
[2 335)
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb-Sayf - Amr b. al-Rayyan-Mus`ab b. Sad: On that night, Sad sent to the [battle ] line Bijad, a boy,
because he could not find another messenger and said : "See what
their situation is." When Bijad returned, Sad asked him: "What
have you seen , son? " and he replied, "I have seen them playing."
Sacd said: "Or, rather, exerting themselves."
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad b. Jarir al`Abdi - cAbis al- Ju`fi - his father : A fully armed Persian unit (katibah ) was in front of [the tribe of] al-Ju`fi on the Day of `Imas. They
moved toward the Persians and fought them with the swords, but
they saw that the swords had no effect on the [Persian armor made
of] iron, and they retreated . Humayda said : "What is the matter
with you? " and they replied , "The weapons do not penetrate into
them." Humayda said : "Stay where you are till I show you ; look!"
and he attacked a Persian and broke his back with a spear. Then he
turned to his companions and said : "I am confident that they will
die and you will survive ." So then they attacked the Persians and
drove them back to their lines.
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - Mujilid - al-Sha`bi:
Only seven hundred men from the tribe of Kindah proper participated in this battle, and Turk al-Tabari was opposite them. AI-Ash`ath said : "0 men, march against them!" and he marched against
them with seven hundred men , drove them away, and killed Turk.
Their rajaz poet (i.e., the poet of Kindah) said:
"We have left their Turk in the field,
hour and launch the attack, because victory comes with endurance.
Prefer endurance to fear." A group of commanders gathered around
him and stood up against Rustam, until they became entangled at
sunrise with the-Persians who were protecting him. When the tribes
saw this, some of their.men rose [to speak ]. Qays b. `Abd Yaghuth,
al-Ash`ath b. Qays, `Amr b. Macdikarib, Ibn Dhi al-Sahmayn alKhathcami, and In Dhi al-Burdayn al-Hilali -all stood up and said:
"Let not these men be more earnest than you in complying with
God's orders, and let them [meaning the PersiansJ407 not be more
daring when facing death. Let their souls not be more generous in
giving up this world,408 and compete with each other (for martyrdom] 409
They launched an attack from the area adjacent to them and be- [2336]
came entanged with (the Persians ) opposite them. A number of men
rose up among the tribe of Rabicah and said: "You know the Persians
best, and you were the most courageous against them in the past.410
What is it, then, that prevents you from being [even[ more courageous today? " The first Persians to retreat at noon were al-Hurmuzan and al-Bayruzan; they retreated but made a stand in the place
that they reached. At noon a gap was opened in the center [of the Persian army] and dust covered them. A violent westerly4 ' wind blew
away the sunshade412 from Rustam's throne, and it fell into al `Atiq.
The dust blew against the Persians.
Al-Qa`ga` and his companions reached Rustam's throne and top407. Cf. (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Kdmil, II, 3731. 19
408. A similar exhortation is attributed, in Balidhuri, FutuI , 258, to Qays b. Makshirb.
409. The expression tandfasnhd is difficult . The apparent antecedent of the feminine pronoun is al-dunyd, but this does not seem to make any sense . Cf. p. 2; 311. 8:
ndfisuhum ft al-shahddah.
410. Seep. 222;, above.
411. The removal of Rustam's sunshade foreshadows his imminent defeat. The
choice of the dabur wind for this purpose is significant : It is a wind that is frequently
described as destructive, worthless, and bringing no rain with it. The wind that God
sent to destroy the ancient nation of `Ad, called in the Qur`an al-rill al-`agim, is said
to have been the dabur for the janub); see Tafsir al-faldlayn on Qur`an 51 :41; and
Tabari, Tafsir, XXVII, 4, on the same verse . The idea is also expressed in a tradition in
which the Prophet is reported to have said : "I was helped by the easterly wind, while
`Ad were destroyed by the westerly one (nu$irtu bi-al-;abd wa-uhlikat `Ad bi-al-dabur)." See Bukhiri, $aI.ill, 1, 263; and Wensinck et al., Concordance, s.v dabur, for
further references.
41 2. Cf. note 282, above.
[2337)
pled it. Rustam vacated it when the wind had blown the sunshade
away and transferred to some mules which had brought to him certain possessions on that day and were standing [nearby], taking shelter in the shade of one of the mules and of its litter. Hilal b.
`Ullafah413 hit the litter under which Rustam was (hiding) and cut
its ropes. One of the half-loads fell on Rustam, so that Hilal did not
see him and did not notice him. The load hit Rustam and displaced
a vertebra in his spine. His [sleeves]414 diffused scent. He moved
toward al-`Atiq and threw himself into it, but without any hesitation, Hilal went after him and caught him after Rustam had already
started to swim. Hilal stood upright, seized Rustam's leg, and
dragged him out to the river's bank, and then struck his forehead
with the sword and killed him. Then he dragged him farther and
threw him at the feet of the mules. He seated himself on Rustam's
throne and exclaimed: "By the Lord of the Kacbah, I have killed Rustam! Come to me!" Men gathered around him without noticing or
seeing the throne, proclaiming "God is most great! "and calling out
to each other.
At this point the polytheists lost heart and were defeated. Al-Jalnus stood on the barrier and called upon the Persians to cross it. The
dust settled. As for those who were chained together, they panicked
and threw themselves, one after the other, into al `Atiq. The Muslims stabbed them with their spears, and none of them escaped to
tell the story. They numbered thirty thousand. IDirar b. al-Khattab
seized the royal flag415 and was given thirty thousand [dirhams[ in
exchange for it; its value was one million and two hundred thousand. The Muslims killed in the battle ten thousand men, over and
above those whom they had killed on the previous day.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - cAtiyyah - `Amr b. Salamah: Hilal b. `Ullafah killed Rustam on the Day of al-Qadisiyyah.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Abu Mikhraq-Abu Ka`b
4 13. See (`I.( In al-Athir, Usd, V, 69.
414.1 am translating nafahat arddnuhu miskan according to the version of Ibn Hubaysh, mentioned in the notes to the Leiden edition . Tabari has nafabat miskan,
without a subject for nafabat . Cf. Tabari, 1, 21941. 17.
415. For an explanation of the term drafsh-i kavydn (kdbiydn in Tabari 's text), see
Christensen, Sassanides, 212, 501-4 ; and El', s.v. "Kawah " (Ed). A brief description
of the flag, which is said to have been made from panther skin and to have measured
8 by i 2 cubits, is given in Tabari , 1, 2175. See also Baladhuri, Futtib, 252; Nuwayri,
Nihdyat al-arab, XIX, 21 5.
417. Sa`d's intention seems to have been to check one more time the two escape
razes of the Persians. This time, so it appears, al-Qa`ga` went upstream and Shurabbil downstream.
418. According to Yaqut ( Mu`jam,11, 409 1, al-Kharfirah is a place near al-Saylaban,
in the neighborhood of al-KUfah . There is no indication of the distance between alQadisiyyah and al-Kharrarah.
[2-338]
[2340]
Another account : The Muslims who pursued the Persians upstream of al -Qadisiyyah and downstream returned. The time of
prayer came, but the mu'adhdhin had been killed, and the Muslims
quarreled with each other for the right to pronounce the call to
prayer. Sacd cast lots among them . They stayed [in their places] for
the rest of the day and the [following ] night, until Zuhrah returned.
In the morning all of them gathered , and they did not expect anyone
else from the army (to return]. Sa`d wrote (to `Umar] about the victory, about the number of [the Persians whom the Muslims ] killed,
and about the number of the Muslims who had been hit. He sent to
`Umar the names of those whom Umar knew with Sa`d b . `Umaylah al-Fazari.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - al -Nadir - Ibn al-Rufayl
-his father: Sad summoned me and sent me to inspect the dead on
his behalf and to provide him with the names of the chieftains
419. Bukayr was the nickname of Bakr b. Shaddakh or Shaddad) al-Laythi , who was
in his youth one of the Prophet 's,servants . The story of his mare Allal is related in
slightly different versions in Ibn Hajar, lgdbah, I, 3x4 - 5; Arabi , Asmd' al-khayl,
83-84 ; Ghundijani, Asmd', 33-34 , Ibn ManZur, Lisnn al-`Arab, s. I-1-1.
4:0. 11anslating wathaba of the Cairo edition, instead of awthaba of the Leiden
text.
1127
among them. I came to him and gave him the information but I did
not see Rustam in his place . Sad sent for a man from the tribe of
Taym whose name was Hilal and said to him: "Did you not inform
me that you had killed Rustam ? " Hilal said : "Yes, I did." Sa`d said:
"What did you do with him? " He replied, "I threw him under the
feet of the mules." Sad said : "How did you kill him? " He gave him
the information, saying: "I struck his forehead and his nose." Sacd
said : "Bring him to us." He gave Rustam 's spoils to Hilal. Rustam
had thrown off some of his clothing when he rushed into the water.
Hilal sold what was found on Rustam 's body for seventy thousand
[dirhams] ; the value of his headgear ( galansuwah )421 would have
been one hundred thousand if Hilal had been able to take possession
of it.422
A group of Christians (al-`ibad) came to Sacd and said : "0 commander, we have seen the body of Rustam near the gate of your castle, but he had the head of another man; the blows have disfigured
him [beyond recognition]." At this, Sacd laughed.
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad, Talbah, and
Ziyad: The Daylamis423 and the chiefs of the garrisons who re- {2341]
sponded to the Muslims and fought on their side without embracing
Islam said : "Our brethren who became Muslims from the beginning have better judgment and are more virtuous than we are. By
God, no Persian will prosper after Rustam's death except those who
became Muslims."
The youngsters of the army went to inspect the dead. They had
with them vessels of water. They gave water to the Muslims in
whom there was a breath of life and killed the polytheists in whom
there was a breath of life . They came down from al `Udhayb at the
time of the evening prayer.
Zuhrah went in pursuit of al-Jalnus . Al-Qa`ga`, his brother, and
Shurahbil went in pursuit of the Persians who had fled upstream and
downstream. They killed them in every village, in every thicket,
and on every river bank, and then returned in time for the noon
421. See Dozy, Vetanents, 365-71 ; EP, s.v. "Libas" (Y. K. Stillman and N. A. Stillman) at V, 734b-735a.
422. Rustam apparently threw away his galansuwah when he made his way into
the water.
423. See EP, sx. "Daylam " (V. Minorsky).
[2342]
427. It is unnecessary to add lahu and read wa lahu sabigah with the Cairo edition.
The main sentence is li-Zuhrah dhu'dbah ... wa sdbiqah; the phrase in between is
parenthetical.
43o. The bracelets are apparently considered a sign of a fearless warrior. Cf. p. 2341,
where al-Jalnus is described as wearing two pairs of bracelets and a pair of earrings.
43 r . One of the meanings of adrakahu is "he lived in someone's time, he lived long
enough to reach his time." The suggested translation is derived from this meaning.
The men concerned were of course alive at the time of the early battles of Iraq but had
not yet joined the Muslim army.
[23431
(2344]
According to Sayf - al-Mujalid - al-Sha`bi and Said b. al-Marzuban - a man from the tribe of `Abs: When Rustam moved from
his place, he rode a mule. When Hilal came close to him, Rustam
drew an arrow, pierced Hilal's leg, fastened it to the stirrup [with the
arrow] and said: "Stay where you are (bi-pdye)! "433 Hilal approached
him, and Rustam dismounted and got down under the mule. When
Hilal could not get to him, he cut off the mule's load. Then he dismounted and split Rustam 's head.434
According to Sayf-`Ubaydah-Shagiq: On the Day of al-Qadisiyyah we all attacked the Persians, like one man. God defeated
them . I found myself signaling to one of the Persian commanders,
who came at me, fully armed. I killed him and took whatever was
on him.
According to Sayf-Sa`id b. al-Marzuban-a man from the tribe
of `Abs: The Persians were afflicted after their defeat in the same
way as the Muslims had been afflicted beforehand. They were killed.
The situation was such that if a Muslim called a Persian, the Persian
would come, stand in front of the Muslim, and the Muslim would
kill him. The Muslim would even take the Persian's weapon and
kill him with it or order two Persians to kill each other. This happened many times.
units who fled was al-Hurmuzan, who was facing `Uxarid;437 Ahwad, [2346]
who was facing Hanplah b. al-Rabic, the secretary of the Prophet; Zad
b. Buhaysh, who was facing `Aim b. `Amr; and Qarin, who was facing al-Qa`ga` b. cAmr. Among those who courageously courted death
were Shahriyar b. Kanara , who was facing Salman (b. Rabi`ah); Ibn
al-Hirbidh, who was facing `Abd al-Rakiman ( b. Rabicah); al43 S. Cf. Schwarzlose, Waffen, 136.
436. For this meaning of kadhdhaba see In Man;Ur, Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v k-dh-b,
1, 7099.
437 For `U tarid b. Hajib b. Zurarah b. `Ades al-Tamimi, see note 126 , above.
123471
Abu Jacfar al-Tabari has said: The narrative returns to the account
of Ibn Ishaq. Al-Muthanna b. al-Harithah died and Sa`d b. Abi
Waggag married his wife Salmi bint Khagafah ; this happened in the
year 14/635 - 36. `Umar b. al-Khaflab conducted the pilgrimage in
that year. Abu `Ubaydah entered Damascus in that year and spent
the winter there . In the summer Heraclius moved with the Byzantines and camped in Antioch, having with him people who had become assimilated among the Arabs43a from the tribes of Lakhm,439
Judham,440 Balgayn,441 Bali'442 and cAmila.443 These were tribes affiliated to Quda`ah444 and Ghassan,445 amounting to a great multitude,
and a similar number of men from Armenia were also with him.
When Heraclius halted in Antioch, he stayed there and sent out al$agalar, who was his eunuch . He set out with one hundred thousand
warriors, and he had with him twelve thousand men from Armenia,
led by Jarajah,4" and twelve thousand musta`ribah Arabs affiliated
with Ghassan and the tribes of QucIacah, led by Jabalah b. alAyham al-Ghassani.407 This whole army was commanded by al-Saqalar, the eunuch of Heraclius . The Muslims, numbering twenty-four
thousand and commanded by Abu 'Ubaydah b. al-Jarrah, marched
toward them. They confronted each other in al-Yarmuk in the
438. For a/-`arab al-musta`ribah, as against al.'arab al-`dribah, see EP, s.v "al`Arab, Djazirat al-" (G. Rentz), at 1, 544b. For a discussion of the lineage of some of
the tribes mentioned below, see Ibn Khaldnn, Muqaddimah, tr. I, z66.
439. See Elr, s.v "Lakhm" (H. Lammens (I. Shahid(J.
440. See E12, s. "Djudhim" (C. E. Bosworth).
44 r. Balqayn is a contraction for Banu al -Qayn; see EP, s.v "al-Kayn" (W. M. Watt).
442.On Bali see EP, s.v "Kui`a" (M. J. Kister ), at V, 317b- i 8a.
443, See Eli, s.v "`Amila " ( H. Lammens (W Casket]).
444. See Eli, s.v. "Kui`a" (M. J. Kister).
445. See Elr, s.v "Ghassin " (J. Shahid).
446. Cf. Donner, Conquests, 132, 365.
447 The last ruler of the Ghassinid dynasty; see Eli, s.v "Djabala b . al-Ayham"
(I. Kawar).
month of Rajab of the year 15 /July -August 636. The fighting was
heavy and the camp of the Muslims was penetrated. When this happened, women from the tribe of Quraysh fought with the swords,
competing with the men. Among them was Umm Hakim bint alHarith b. Hisham."9
When the Muslims went to confront the Byzantines, they were
joined by men from the tribes of Lakhm and Judhim, but when these
last saw the severity of the fighting, they fled and escaped to the
neighboring villages and let the Muslims down.
[2 348]
According to Ibn Humayd - Salamah - Muhammad b. IshaqYahya b. `Urwah b. al-Zubayr-his father: An [anonymous] Muslim
recited when he saw what Lakhm and Judham did:
[2349]
134
say: "Go on, 0 Banu al-Afar!"050 And when the Byzantines floundered and the Muslims pressed them hard, they said: "Woe to you,
0 Banu al-A$far!" I became puzzled by what they said. When God
defeated the Byzantines and al-Zubayr returned, I told him their
story. Al-Zubayr started laughing and said: "May the curse of God
befall them! They want only enmity. Will they gain anything if the
Byzantines overcome us? We are better for them than they are."
Then God the Exalted granted victory [to the Muslims]. The Byzantines and the armies gathered by Heraclius were defeated. Seventy
thousand of the Armenians and of the people who were assimilated
among the Arabs (musta`ribah) were killed. God killed al-$agalar
and Bahan,451 whom Heraclius had sent forward with al-$agalar
when Bahan joined him. When the Byzantines were defeated, Abu
`Ubayda sent `Iyatl b. al-Ghanm45z in their pursuit. He crossed alA`mag453 and reached Malalyah.454 The inhabitants of Malatyah
concluded a treaty with him, agreeing to pay the jizyah, and after
this, `Iya4 b. al-Ghanm went back. When Heraclius heard of this, he
sent for the fighting men [of Malalyah] and for the rest of its inhabitants and banished them to his region. He then gave orders for Malalyah to be burned.
The following Muslims were killed in the battle of al-Yarmuk:
from Quraysh, Banu Umayyah b. `Abd Shams: cAmr b. Said b. al`A$1, Aban b. Said b. al`A$i; from Banu Makhzum: `Abdallah b.
Sufyan b. `Abd al-Asada from Banu Sahm: Said b. al-Harith b. Qays.
At the end of the year 15 /63 6 - 3 7 God killed Rustam in Iraq.
45o. For this appellation of the Byzantines, see Goldziher, Muslim Studies, 1, 243;
and En, s.v. "Agfar" (I. Goldziher).
451. Bahan was a commander in the Byzantine army, bearing the title bitriq, "patricius." See Tabari, I, zo81 - 8z, 2088-89, x091, 2146.
452. `Iyad b. Ghanm was a Companion of the Prophet who participated in the conquest of Syria. After the death of Abu `Ubaydah b. al-jarrila in A.H. 18/639 he was appointed governor of Himg, Qinnasrin, and al-jazirah. See Balidhuri, Futuh, 172, and
index; Ibn Sa `d, Tabagat, VII, 122; (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, IV, 164-66.
4 5 3. A`miq is mentioned in the hadith in connection with the eschatological wars
against the Byzantines : " The Hour will not come until the Byzantines camp at alA`miq." See Muslim, $ahih, IV, 2221. Yignt (Mu'jam, 1, 316) says that the plural
form A` maq may stand for the singular ` Amq, the alluvial plain of northern Syria, for
which see El', s.v. "al-`Amk " (D. Sourdel).
454 An ancient city near the upper Euphrates , now situated in eastern Turkey. See
the detailed article in E11, s.v. "Malatya " ( E. Honigmann J . Faroghi (). Yaqut (Mu`jam,
IV, 633-35) does not provide any information about the city in the early Islamic
period.
455. Yagnt ( Mu`jam, IV, 3121 - 24 mentions Qasr Mugatil, which was situated, according to one version, near a1-Qulqulanah (see note i9, above).
456. This passage is difficult because most dictionaries have khafir only in the active sense of protector; and the first part of the sentence is not intelligible if khafir is
understood in this sense . I have followed al-Fayruzabidi, who says in Qdmus,1, 23 (:
al-khafir al-mujdr al-mujir "the khaf r is the protected and the protector."
cloak, and approached Rustam, who was beyond the bridge of alcAtiq"Oon the Iraqi side. The Muslims were on the other side, close 12-3521
to al-Iiijaz, between al -Qadisiyyah and al-`Udhayb. Rustam addressed al-Mughirah, saying:
0 Arabs, you were people afflicted with misery and adversity. You used to come to us as merchants, hirelings, and
messengers. You ate from our food, drank from our drink,
and took shelter in our shade. Then you went back, invited
your companions, and brought them to us. Your case is similar to that of a man who possessed a walled vineyad and saw
a fox in it. He said: "What is one fox? ""I The fox went away
and invited (numerous ] foxes to the vineyard. When they
gathered in it, the man closed the hole through which they
had entered and killed them all."2 0 Arabs, I know that the
reason which caused you to do this is the adversity which
had afflicted you. Return this year [to your land], because
you have distracted us from building our country and from
dealing with our enemy. We shall load your riding beasts
with wheat and dates and shall issue an order to provide you
with clothing. Leave our land, and may God keep you well!
Al-Mughirah b. Shucbah replied:
Whatever you have mentioned, we were afflicted with an adversity like it or greater. The person whose life was the most
virtuous in our mind was one who killed his cousin, took
his property, and consumed it. We were eating carrion,
blood, and bones. Our situation did not change until God
sent to us a Prophet and revealed to him a book, and the
Prophet summoned us to God and to the message with
which he had been sent. Some of us believed in him and oth- 12-3531
ers denied him. Those who believed in him fought those
who denied him. We (all] entered his religion either out of
conviction or by coercion when it became clear to us that he
spoke the truth and that he was the Messenger of God. He
460. The Leiden edition has al-lisr al-`atfq, which is difficult . I have translated according to the emendation suggested by the editor in note 1.
46 z. Meaning that one fox can do no harm.
46x. Cf. Tabari, I, az8r-81.
[2354)
Rustam said to him: "I did not think that I would live to hear such
things from you. 0 Arabs, before tomorrow evening falls, I shall finish with you and kill you all." Then he ordered al `Atiq to be filled
up and spent the night filling it with saddle clothes, 465 soil, and reeds
until by morning, it had become a beaten road. The Muslims arrayed
themselves against Rustam. Sa`d placed Khalid b. `Urfutah, confederate of the Banu Umayyah b. `Abd Shams, in command of the Muslims, appointing Jarir b. `Abdallah al-Bajali to command the right
wing and Qays b. Makshuh al-Muradi the left wing. Rustam moved
against the Muslims and the Muslims moved against Rustam.
According to Ibn Humayd - Salamah - Muhammad b. Ishaq `Abdallah b. Abi Bakr: Most Muslims were shielded only with saddle cloths across which they fastened leafless palm branches in order
to protect themselves. What they put on their heads was in most
cases only saddle girths: A man would bind his head with the girth
of his saddle in order to protect himself. The Persians were clad in
iron mail and coats. The fighting was heavy. Sa`d was in the castle,
observing [the battlefield], with Salmi hint Khagafah, who had been
before the wife of al-Muthanna b. Harithah. The [Muslim] horsemen were wheeling around, and Salmi was terrified when she saw
them do this. She said: "Alas for Muthanna! I have no Muthanna today!" Sa`d became jealous and slapped her face. She said: "Are you
463. Islamic law stipulates that one- fifth of the booty taken in jihad is managed by
the state treasury ( bayt al-mdl!. For a discussion of the ways in which the khums is
to be used, see EP, s.v. "Bayt al -mil" (N. J. Coulson et al.), at I, r 142a.
139
both jealous and cowardly? 114" Abu Mil}jan was with Sa`d in the
castle of al-`Udhayb and observed [the battlefield]. When he saw the
horsemen wheel around, he recited:
469. Literally "Sa`d began to recognize his horse and to deny [that) it was his)"
ia`ala Said ya`rifu farasahu wa yunkiruha), oscillating between the two.
470. Abnd' al-ahrdr, or abnd', was an epithet for the descendants of Persians who
emigrated into the Yemen and married there . This passage indicates that it was also
used for Persians in general . See J. `Ali, Mufassal, III, 5 :8 ; IV, 556-57.
[2355]
47z. The verb afd'a is said to express the idea that, when Muslims take booty, God
restores to them only what belongs to them by right. While it is not certain that this
was the original significance of the Qur'anic usage, "restore" seems to approximate
the meaning of afd'a in this and similar passages in our text . See E12, s.v. "Fay"'
!E Lekkegaard!.
473. Cf. note 433, above.
475. The expression naha4a Sad bi-'l-muslimin seems to indicate that Sad himself went to the battlefield for the first time in the battle of al-Qidisiyyah.
( 2 358]
123591
1143
futah led them across. Then Sacd joined the army and they reached
Jalula ,'8 where a Persian unit was situated . There the battle of Jalula' took place, and God defeated the Persians . In Jalula' the Muslims took more valuable spoils than in al-Qadisiyyah. A daughter of
the Persian king whose name was Manjanah was killed there, but
according to another account, it was his son's daughter.
A poet of the Muslims recited:
Many a nice, well-shaped foal,
carries the loads of a Muslim boy.
He takes refuge from hell in the Merciful God,
on the day of Jalula' and the day of Rustam.
On the day of the march on al-Kufah he is in the vanguard,
on the day he encounters adversity he is defeated.
The religion of the infidels fell down, lying on its face.
Then Sand wrote to cUmar about the victory that God granted,to 12.36x]
the Muslims. `Umar wrote to him: "Halt and do not seek further
conquest." Sa`d wrote back to him: "This is nothing but a small
band of horsemen whom we have pursued;481 the land is before us.482
`Omar wrote again to Sacd: "Stay where you are and do not follow
them. Establish for the Muslims a place where they can migrate land
settle] (ddrhijrah) 48a and from which they can wage holy war. Do not
place a great river (ba11r) between me and the Muslims . "484 Sa`d set480. Jalula' was a city located to the northeast of al-Mada'in, on the Diyala river.
See EP, "Djalula"' (M. Streck); Yiqut, Mu`jam , II, 107 . On the crucial battle of Jalula', see Morony, Iraq, 193-94,197.
4811. See Glossary, s.v s-r-b.
48:. The meaning seems to be that the Muslims will encounter no difficulty in
conquering the land beyond the Euphrates.
483. Cf. Donner, Conquests, ::7 n. 28 (where "Muslims" should replace "Bedouins").
484. lb understand `Umar's instructions, one has to keep in mind that the battle of
al-Qidisiyyah took place west of the Euphrates and the Muslims were therefore not
required to cross any major waterway in order to reach the battlefield . After victory
was attained, military logic dictated an advance into the lowlands ( sawdd) of Iraq.
Nevertheless, `Umar expressed his opposition to the crossing of the Euphrates and
the Tigris.
See also Balidhuri, Futuh, 2.75; Tabari, I, 2483 ; and Ibn Sad Tabagdt, VII/i, 21.3.
Yaqut ( Mu`jam, 1, 637 ) reports that `Omar opposed the building of a city across the
Tigris, saying: "There is no use to build a city in a place separated from me by the
Tigris" ( Id ladjata ft shay'in bayni wa-baynahu Dijlah an tattakhidhuhu mi$ran). It
is noteworthy that `Umar is also described as opposed to naval expeditions. According to a tradition, he developed this attitude after a Muslim unit that he had sent on
`Umar b. al-Khattab set out this year for Syria and encamped at alJabiyah.487 He was given victory overy Iliya, the city of Jerusalem
(madinat bayt al-magdis). In the same year Abu `Ubaydah b. al-Jarrah sent Hanzalah b. al-Tufayl al-Sulami to I Iim^; God enabled him
)2361) to conquer this city. Sad b. Abi Wagqag appointed a man from Kindah, whose name was Shurahbil b. al-Simi, to be the governor of alMada'in. He is the man about whom a poet recited:
I wish I were with Sacd b. Milik,488
with Zabra',489 and with Ibn al-Simi in the midst of the sea.49
an expedition to Abyssinia was wiped out. SeeTabari , 1, 2546,2 548,2595 ; Ibn Hajar,
I;abah , IV, 561 . For a brief note on this topic , with regard to early Muslim incursions
into the Indian province of Sind , see Friedmann, "Minor Problems ," 253-55. See also
Noth, Studien, 24-25.
485. Al-Anbar is located on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, and Sa`d's choice
therefore does not strictly conform to `Umar's instructions . See El', s.v "al-Anbar"
(M. Streck [A. A. Duri)).
486. Yagiit ( Mu'jam , IV, 331) says that Kuwayfat `Umar b . Sa'd was situated near
Bizigiyi, in the vicinity of Hillah and between the two branches of the Euphrates. For
Bazigiya, see Yignt, Mu`jam, I, 6o8.
487. A city in the Jawlin (Golan), 8o kilometers south of Damascus . It became famous because of the meeting that `Umar is said to have held there with his governors.
See En, s.v "al-Djabiya " (H. Lammens (J. Sourdel-Thomine )); Yagat, Mu'jam, II,
3-4.
488. Sad b. Malik and Sa'd b . AN Wagqag are one and the same person ; see note
16, above.
489. Zabri' was one of the wives of Sa'd b. Abi Wagqag; see Ibn Sad, Tabagat, V,
126.
490. Probably meaning that with these persons he would feel safe, even in the middle of the sea.
Had it not been for that, you would have been branded as riffraff,
and your troops disabled like flies!
491. B. Malik, cf. P. 23o8.
[ 2,362.]
(2363) husbands. When he heard that the Muslims had finished [the fighting], we fastened our clothes and armed ourselves with sticks. Then
we came to the mortally wounded men493 [lying on the battlefield].
To those who were Muslims we gave water and we lifted them; those
who were polytheists, we finished them off. The youngsters followed us. We charged them with this task and gave them a free hand
to do it.
According to al-Sari-Shu'ayb-Sayf-`AXiyyah, who is Ibn alHarith -a person who lived through these events: No Arab tribe
had more women present on the Day of al-Qadisiyyah than Bajilah
and al-Nakha`. In the tribe of al-Nakha` there were seven hundred
unmarried women; in Bajilah there were one thousand. One thousand men from the Arab tribes married the latter and seven hundred
the former. Al-Nakha` and Bajilah were called the kinsmen of the
Emigrants . The fact that Khalid, followed by al-Muthanna, Abu
`Ubayd, and the participants of the former battles, prepared the way
encouraged them to travel with their belongings. Then after that
they encountered great adversity.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Muhammad, al-Muhallab, and Talhah: Bukayr b. 'Abdallah al-Laythi and `Utbah b. Farqad
al-Sulami and Simak b. Kharashah al-Angari (who is not the man
known as Abu Dujanah ) asked a woman in marriage on the Day of
al-Qadisiyyah. (The women of the Muslims were with them: seven
hundred women were with the tribe of al-Nakha`. They were called
the kinsmen of the Emigrants . The Emigrants married them im492. See note 16, above.
493. This meaning of qatil, pl. gatld, does not seem to be listed in the dictionaries,
but it is unavoidable.
5oz. For ar`an in this sense, see de Goeje's Glossary, referring to al-Mas`udi, Tanbih, z8o 1. 15.
503. Reading humu taraku , a variant mentioned in the Leiden edition , instead of
taraknd. For a slightly different version of the poem , see Ibn Kathir, Biddyah, VII, 47.
3149
Poems like this were heard in the entire land of the Arabs.
According to al-Sari Shu`ayb- Sayf - Muhammad, al-Muhallab, andTalhah: Sad wrote [to `Umar] about the victory, informing
him of the number of the Persians whom they had killed and of the
number of Muslims who had been killed. He sent to `Umar the
names of his acquaintances by the hand of Sad b . cUmaylah al-Fazari.
According to the previous chain of transmission, and also according to al-Naar b. al-Sari-Ibn al-Rufayl b. Maysur: SaCd's letter read
as follows:
Now, then ( aroma bacdu ), God granted us victory over the
Persians and treated them in the way in which He had
treated their coreligionists who preceded them. [Victory
came] after a long fight and violent upheaval . They confronted the Muslims with an army such as had never been
seen before. God did not allow them to benefit from this, but
rather, He deprived them of it and gave it over to the Muslims. The Muslims pursued them on the canals , on the edge
of the thicket (call tufuf al-djdm[, and on the roads . Sa`d b.
`Ubayd, the Qur'an reader, and so-and-so and so-and-so
were killed from among the Muslims . Also killed were
Muslims whom we do not know, but God knows them. -sos
When night fell, they were whispering the Qur'an, humming like bees. They were lions among men, and the [real]
lions did not resemble them. Those who died from among [2367]
them were not superior to those who survived , except by the
123681 and asked him what was the proper treatment which should be given
to these people;509 this was the second letter after victory, sent with
Nadhir b. `Amr.
When the news of victory reached `Umar, he stood in the midst of
the Muslims, read to them the letter in which victory was announced, 510 and said:
507. The name `Abdallah is used for any Muslim whose name is not known to his
interlocutor.
5o8. The following sentence indicates that the "next day" (al-ghad) is the second
day of the battle , the Day of Aghwath.
509. Probably about the question whether or not these men were entitled to a share
in the spoils.
Sa`d wrote [to cumar, sending the letter ] with Abu al-Hayyaj alAsadi [also known as Ibn Malik]:
The inhabitants of the sawdd migrated from their land.
With regard to those who held fast to their treaty and did not
S r r. In which I held no public office. The translation of this sentence is tentative.
S r x. Binigya was a village in the vicinity of al-Kufah . See Yaqut, Mu`jam, 1, 483 84s Oppenheimer et a1., Babylonia, index.
S 13 - Basmi was a village in the vicinity of al-Kufah . See Donner, Conquests, r 80;
Morony, Iraq, 15 r.
514. For Ullays, see Donner, Conquests, 3x9 n. 66.
S 15. For the treaty concluded by Khalid b. al-Walid (or by jarir b. `Abdallah al-Bajali
on Khilid 's behalf) with the people of Binigya, Basma, and Ullays, see Tabari, 1,2019,
2049 ; Baladhuri, Fut "$, z44 - 45; and Donner, Conquests, i 8o, for additional sources.
5 2 r. It seems that this term means the three days of battle in al-Qadisiyyah.
153
The Muslims unanimously decided that the treaty should be fulfilled with regard to those who had stayed and had refrained [from
fighting the Muslims]; their being overwhelmed would only improve their position. Those who made a claim which was accounted
genuine or who fulfilled [the conditions of their treaty] would have
the status of the former group 5 If their claim is considered false,
the treaty will be revoked and the Muslims will make a new peace
treaty with them. [They also decided] that the matter of those who [2370]
migrated should be decided at the discretion of the Muslims. If they
wish, they will make a treaty with them and [the migrants] will become ahl al-dhimmah; if the Muslims wish [otherwise], they will
persevere in preventing them from returning to their land and offer
them nothing except war. Those who have stayed and have surrendered will be offered the choice between paying the poll tax and exile. The same applies to the peasants.
`Umar wrote a reply to the letter brought by Anas b. al-Hulays,
saying:
Now, then, God the Exalted has granted in certain cases a
dispensation (rukh$ah)52 in every matter, except in just
conduct and in the remembrance of God ( dhikr). As for the
remembrance of God there can be no dispensation with regard to it in any event, and only abundance of it is satisfactory.524 As for justice, there can also be no dispensation with
regard to it, neither for relative nor for stranger, neither in
adversity nor in prosperity. Even if justice seems to be lenient, it is stronger and more effective in suppressing injustice and falsehood than injustice, even if it seems harsh. It
is [also] more effective in uprooting infidelity.
Those inhabitants of sawed who held fast to their treaty
and did not help the enemy against you in any way have the
protection (dhimmah) and must pay the poll tax. As for
5:2. Those who claimed that they had been forcibly recruited but had otherwise
fulfilled the conditions of their treaty will be treated in the same way as those who
stayed on their land and did not fight the Muslims.
5s3. For the concept of rukhsah in early Islam, see Kister, "Concessions."
524. Alluding to Quein 33:41: "Oh those who believe, remember God in abundance." The dhikr later became an important ritual of Muslim mystics. See EP, s.v
"Dhikr" (L. Garden.
[2371]
As for those who stayed and did not migrate without having
a treaty, they will have the same rights as those who have a
treaty because they stayed for your sake and refrained from
fighting you, in response to your call. The same applies to
the peasants, if they behaved in the same manner. Those
who have claimed [to have been forcibly evicted or recruited] will have protection if their claim is considered
true. If it is considered false, their treaty will be revoked. As
for those who assisted [the Persians] and migrated, this is a
matter placed by God at your discretion. If you wish, invite
them to stay on their land for your sake. They will have protection and will be obliged to pay the poll tax. Should they
dislike this, divide among yourselves their property which
God has restored to you.526
When `Umar's letters reached Sa`d b. Malik527 and the Muslims,
they made offers to those who had migrated from the areas close to
them and left the sawed to return: They would have protection and
would be obliged to pay the poll tax. They returned and became ahl
al-dhimmah like those who had stayed and held fast to their treaty,
but their land tax (khardj) was made heavier. The Muslims gave the
same status to those who claimed to have been forcibly evicted and
fled; they made a treaty with them, giving those who stayed the status of those who had treaties. The same applied to the peasants.
The Muslims did not include in the peace conditions the property
of the royal family, of those who had left [the sawdd] with them and
had not accepted the alternative offer of embracing Islam or paying
the poll tax. This property became immovable booty (fay') of those
5 25. Alluding to Qur'an 8 :5 8 and 9:6.
5 z6. Cf. note 47 r , above.
5 27. He is Sa d b. Abi Waggag; cf. note i 6, above.
[2372]
(2 3731
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-Talhah-Sufyan-Mahan: God conquered the sawdd by force; the same applies to the entire land between the sawdd and the river of Balkh,535 except for the
fortresses . The inhabitants were invited to make peace and became
ahl al-dhimmah , and their land remained in their possession. The
property of the royal family and of their followers was not included
in this arrangement ; this became the fay' of those to whom God had
restored it. Nothing of the conquests becomes fay' until it is divided,536 as is meant by His saying: "Whatever booty you take,137
i.e., of what you divide among yourselves.
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb -Sayf-Ismail b. Muslim - alHasan b. Abi Hasan : Most of what the Muslims conquered is land
taken by force (`anwah); then they invited the inhabitants to return
and receive protection. They made them the offer of paying the poll
petual source of income for the community was debated between `Umar and leading
Muslims . The view of `Umar, who opposed the division, prevailed. See Abu Yusuf,
Khardj, 67-7i, 86-87 ; Ibn Sallam, Amwdl, 57-59.
534 See note 541, below. For the issue of the status of the sawdd lands, see also
Tabari, Ikhtildf, 2.2o.
Mu'jam, 1, 713; Le
535 Nahr Balkh is the Oxus, in Arabic Jayhun. See Yaqut,
Strange, Lands, 434.
536. Those parts of the sawdd that were not divided among the Muslims but remained the property of the original inhabitants , who were subject to the payment of
the poll tax, were therefore not considered part of the fay'.
537. The first words are part of Qur'an 8:41 , which reads : "Whatever booty you
take, one-fifth of it is God' s and the Messenger 's.... " The verse is adduced because
it speaks about the division of the booty ; it is taken to be a proof that only things that
are divided among the Muslims can be considered fay'. In his commentary on the
Qur'an Tabari also maintains that the verse speaks about booty that is being divided.
See Tabari Tafsir, X, 3 II. 10-11.
tax, and when the inhabitants agreed to this, they extended protection to them.
According to Sayf - `Amr b. Muhammad -- al-Sha`bi: I said to
him: "Some people claim that the people of the sawad are
slaves.." He replied:
On what basis would poll tax be taken from slaves ? The sawad was taken by force. The same applies to all the land you
know, except some fortresses on the mountains and the like.
The inhabitants were invited to return, they came back, the
poll tax was accepted from them , and they became ahl aldhimmah. Whatever was taken as spoils can be divided, but
that which was not taken as spoils whose owners had agreed
to pay the poll tax beforehand belongs to them. This is the
sunnah with regard to it.
According to al-Sari - Shu`ayb - Sayf - Abu IDamrah - `Abdallah b. al-Mustawrid-Muhammad b. Siirin : All lands were taken by
force, except a few fortresses whose inhabitants concluded a treaty
before they were allowed to leave . They-meaning the people who
were conquered by force -were invited to return and to pay the poll
tax, and they became ahl al-dhimmah , both the people of the sawad and those of the mountains . This was the way in which the ahl
al-fay' were treated. 59 cUmar and the Muslims acted with regard to
the poll tax and protection according to the custom enacted by the
Messenger of God in this matter. He sent Khalid b. al-Walid from
Tabuk to Dumat al -Jandal and conquered it by force. He took its
king Ukaydir b. `Abd al -Malik captive . He invited him to receive
protection and pay the poll tax, after his land had been conquered by
force and he himself had been taken prisoner." Khalid did the same
538. In Tabari's Ikhtilaf.:a5, this view is attributed to the jurisprudent Sharik b.
`Abdallih al-Nakha`i; for information about him, see In I,iajar, Tbadhlb, IV, 33337; and Schmucker, Untersuchungen, 149.
539 if the text is correct, it means that those entitled to the booty were consistently treated in this way; the land was left in the possession of the inhabitants and
not divided among them.
540. Tabuk is a city in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula . See Yaqut, Mu`jam, I, 814-15, and EP, s.v'"Ibbuk" (F. Buhlj.
541. Dumat al-Jandal is located in the northwestern part of the Arabian peninsula,
at the head of Wadi Sirhin. See El', s.v. "DUmat al-Djandal" (L. Veccia Vaglieri); and
Ell, s.v "Djawf al-Sirlaan" (H. von Wissmann at al. ); for its geographic location, see
also El=, s.v 'Badw" if. Schleifer), map. According to one tradition , the Prophet sent
[7- 3741
543- The part of the verse that is in parentheses is not quoted by Tabari.
544 See Qur'an 4:24 . The commentators are not in agreement on whether the
verse really forbids Muslims to marry Jewish and Christian slave girls . See Tabari,
Tafsir, V, 12-13. Tabari' s own view in favor of this interpretation is on p . 1311.9-17.
Tabari mentions the legality of marriages between Muslims and the sawdd women
in order to prove that the inhabitants of the sawdd were free dhimmis and not slaves.
12 3 751
[23761
550. It was therefore their responsibility to act properly and not to accept fiefs in a
way incompatible with the rules mentioned above.
551. See EI', s.v. "Talhah" (G. Levi della Vida).
552. Balidhuri (Futul. , 358) mentions a place called Dar al-Fil in al-Ba$rah.
553 'Uthmin b. Hunayf belonged to the tribe of Aws and was one of the Helpers
(an$dr). `Umar put him in charge of the sawdd lands. He is said to have imposed the
poll tax and the land tax on its inhabitants. He died during the reign of Mu`awiyah.
See (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, III, 371; Ibn'Abd al-Barr, Isti'ab, 483; Ibn Hajar, 1$dbah,
IV, 449 no. 5439; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, VII, 112-13.
554 For Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, see E11, s.v "al-Ash`ari, Abu Musa" (L. Veccia Vaglieri).
5 5 5. Suwayd b. Ghafalah belonged to the tribe of Madhhij. He embraced Islam and
5 57 For this meaning of ma'arrat al-juyiish see Lane, Lexicon, s.v `-r-r; Ibn ManOr, Lisdn, al-Arab, s.v. `-r-r (IV55 56b), and Blachi re at al., Dictionnaire, s.v b-r-'.
[2377]
568. Al-Mirbad, situated to the west of al-Baarah , was the town market . Later it
became a large residential area of the ci ty, where poets and orators used to have their
assemblies. Numerous political meetings were also held there. Yigiit ( Mu'jam, I,
484) says that in his day al-Mirbad was three miles from a1-Bagrah and was a separate
town. The area between al-Bagrah and al-Mirbad, which had been inhabited in the
past, was in ruins in Yiqut's days. For a history of al-Mirbad, with extensive bibliography, see S. A. `All, "Khitat," 282-86; cf. En, s.v. "al-Mirbad" (Ch. Pellat).
569. See Yiqut, Mu'jam , 1, 637, where al-Kadhdhin and al-Bagrah are glossed by
each other. See note 565, above.
570. The vegetation indicated that they had reached the boundary between the desert land of the Arabs and the fertile land of the Persians , as commanded by `Umar. See
above; and p. 2384, below.
575. A city in the vicinity of al-Ubullah , on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. See
Balidhuri, Futnh, 34i-42; and Donne; Conquests, 559-6o and index.
[2379]
576. Meaning the best deeds that one performed in this world and that would serve
him well in the Hereafter.
577. With the infinite numbers of infidels and sinners . See Qur'an 7:17 : "1 shall
fill Hell with all of you."
same month. As for the people of al-Kdfah they stayed in al-Mada'in 12381l
before settling in al-Kdfah. As for the people of al-Ba$rah they stayed
on the bank of the Tigris but then moved several times until they
settled in the desert . 58 Then they went back the distance of a
farsakh58, and dug a canal; then they repeated this until they
reached the desert and extended the canal [as far as the site of al-Ba$rah].582 Al-Ba$rah was planned in the same way as al -Kdfah. Abd alJarba"A$im b. al-Dulaf, of the Banu Ghaylan b. Malik b . `Amr b.
Tamim, was in charge of the settlement of al-Ba$rah.
According to `Umar [b. Shabbah?] - al-Mada'ini - al-Nadir b. Is578. The Leiden text reads wa-sa-yujarrabnna al-ndsa ba'dand. I have translated
al-nds as "amirs " in light of a version of `Utba's sermon recorded in Muslim, $abi-b,
IV, 2278-79 (Kitdb al-zuhd wa-al-raqd'iq, 14). The relevant portion reads there: wasa-takhburnna wa-tujarribnna al-umard'a ba'dand. Another; and much longer, version of the sermon is recorded by Ibn Sad (Tabagdt, VII/i, a), whose text reads: wasa-tujarribnna al-umard'a ba`dand wa-tujarrabnna fa-ta`rifnna wa-tunkirnna; 11.
27-28. `Utbah expresses the idea that the way in which the Muslim community is
governed will deteriorate. Prophecy will disappear and will be replaced by kingship
(mulk). The Muslims will in the future experience rulers worse than those of the
early period.
[2384 1
[2385]
wan came to al-Bagah with three hundred men . When he saw a field
of reeds and heard the croaking of frogs, he said: "The Commander
of the Faithful ordered me to halt at the most distant edge of the
Arab desert land and at the nearest point of the cultivated Persian
land. This is the place where we must obey the orders of our imam."
So he halted at al-Khuraybah. At that time, five hundred Persian
horsemen (asdwirah) were in al-Ubullah defending the city. AlUbullah was a port for ships from China and from less distant
places. cUtbah moved forward and halted before al-Ijjanah595 and
stayed there for about a month. Then the garrison of al-Ubullah
came out to [fight ) him, and `Utbah stood up against them. He put
Qutbah b. Qatadah al-Sadusi and Qasamah b. Zuhayr al-Mazini596
in charge of ten horsemen and said to them: "Stay behind us, drive
back those (Muslims) who run away, and ward off those [Persians]
who may attack us from our rear." Then the two armies confronted
each other. They did not fight longer than is necessary to slaughter a
camel and divide it; God routed the Persians;597 they took to flight
and withdrew into the city. `Utbah returned to his camp and stayed
there for a few days. God put fear in the hearts of the people of alUbullah; they left the city, carried their light belongings with them,
crossed [the Tigris) to the city of al-Furat, and abandoned al-Ubullah. The Muslims entered the city, captured various goods, weapons, prisoners, and money. They divided the money between them,
and every man received two dirhams. `Utbah put Nafi` b. alHarithS95 in charge of the spoils of al-Ubullah; he set aside the
fifth599 and divided the rest among those to whom God restored it. 600
He wrote about it [to `Umar, sending the letter] with Nafi b. alHarith.
597 For manahahum Allah aktd/chum, see Dozy, Supplement ; and WKAS, s.v
k-t-f.
598. See Ibn Ss 'd, Tabaqdt, V, 372; (`I.) Ibn al -Athir, Usd, V, S.
599 See note 463, above.
boo. See note 47x, above.
6oi. Abu Bakrah was a slave in al -Ta-'if and embraced Islam when the Prophet
laid siege to the city. He died in al-Bakrah in 51 or 5 x/671 -7i. See Ibn Sa'd,
[2386)
607. The text has `aural, which denotes any area under a governor, `dmil.
6o8. See Glossary, s.v and Dozyy. Supplement, s.v ka'k, and the sources quoted
there.
[7389]
16
The
Events of the Year
'5
(FEBRUARY 14, 636 - FEBRUARY 1, 637)
Ibn Jarir (al-Tabari) has said : Some traditionists said that in this year
Sa`d b. Abi Waggig established al-Kufah . Ibn Bugaylah618 led the
Muslims there and said to Sad: "I shall lead you to a land free of
mosquitoes619 and beyond the desert ."62o He then led them to the
place where al-Kufah is located today.
61g. For Ibn Bugaylah, see note zoi , above.
619. Cf. Tabari, I, 236o, where it is related that Sacd abandoned an attempt to establish a city at Kuwayfat `Omar b. Sad because the area was infested with flies.
6:o. Literally "a land higher than )where) the mosquitoes )live) and lower than the
desert." This phrasing can be understood in view of the Arabic linguistic usage in
which travel from the Hijiz to Iraq, Syria, and `Umiin is considered descent )inhiddr),
whereas movement in the direction of Najd , Hijaz, and Yemen is considered ascent
) i.'dd). See Ibn Mangy Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v s-`-d )III, 253). The place suggested by Ibn
Bugaylah is therefore "higher," to the south of the mosquito-infested Iraqi lowlands,
and "lower," to the north of the Arabian desert . It is another expression of the idea that
the Muslims should establish themselves at the beginning of their northward expansion in the borderland between Iraq and the desert. Cf. Balidhuri, Futub, 2.76.
174
626. Addt could mean any instrument or tool but is probably used here in the sense
of adat al-barb "tools of war."
175
(23911
645. For Bilil b. Kabala, best known as the mu'adhdhin of the Prophet, see EP, s.v
"Bilal b. Rabah" (W. `Arafat(.
[2 393)
`Atiyyah, and Dhu Shamistin. They were inside the city of Him$. Abu
`Ubaydah stayed in his camp and wrote to Umar, informing him of the
victory, sending fifths of the booty with `Abdallih b. Masud. After
Abu `Ubaydah had sent him, he was informed that Heraclius had crossed the river into the Jazirah and was in al-Ruhi' and was
alternating between going into hiding and coming out of it. Ibn Masud came to Umar, who ordered him to return and then sent him to
Sad in al-Kufah. Later he wrote to Abu `Ubaydah: "Stay in your city
and summon the strong and sturdy Arabs in Syria. God willing, I
shall not neglect sending to you men who will help you."
[2-394]
[2 3951
destroy them." Heraclius said: "If you have spoken the truth, they
will, indeed, inherit the land on which I stand."
[2 3961
183
one there. At times Byzantines lay in ambush near the fortresses and
launched surprise attacks on those who were lagging behind, and
the Muslims had to take precautions against this.
The Conquest of Caesareab74 and the Siege of Gaza675
According to Sayf-Abu `Uthman and Abu Harithah- Khalid and
CUbadah: When Abu `Ubaydah and Khalid departed from Fihl on
their way to Hims, `Amr (b. al `AS )676 and Shurahbil (b. Hasanah)677
camped at Baysan and conquered it. The province of Jordan (al-Urdunn)67R made peace with them. The Byzantine army gathered at
Ajnadayn, 679 Baysan, and Gaza. cAmr and Shurahbil wrote to `Umar
that the Byzantines had divided their forces, and Umar wrote to Yazid (b. Abi Sufyan) asking him to send them reinforcements6"o and
to dispatch Mu`awiyah to Caesarea . He also wrote to cAmr commanding him to confront Artabiin,6A, and he wrote to `Algamah b.
Mujazziz6A2 to confront al-Figar.68,1 The following is the text of the
letter of `Umar to Mu`awiyah:
674. See EP, s.v. " Kaysiriyya " (M. Sharon).
675. See ElI, s.v. "Ghazza " (D. Sourdel).
676. For cAmr b. al-`As, whose fame is based mainly on his conquest for Egypt, see
Elz, s.v. `Amr b. al `A$" (A. J. Wensinck).
677. Shurabbil b. Hasanah belonged to the tribe of Kindah and was a confederate of
the Qurashi clan of Band Zuhrah in Mecca . He was an early convert to Islam and took
part in the early battles of the Prophet . He served as governor over a part of Syria on
behalf of `Umar. According to one tradition, he had been sent by the Prophet as his
envoy to Egypt, where he died . According to another, he died in the plague of "Amwis
in 18 / 639-40 . See Ibn Sa`d, Tabagdt, VII/ii, i rS; (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, II, 390-91,
Ibn Hajar, Ildbah, III, 328 - 29; Ibn Hajai . Tbadhib, N, 324-25.
678. For the province of al-Urdunn, roughly corresponding to northern Palestine,
see El', s.v. "al-Urdunn, ii" (Fr. Buhl).
679. For a discussion of the possible location of Ajnidayn, see Elr, s.v. "Adjnidayn"
(H. A. R. Gibb).
68o. Literally "to warm their backs with men "; cf. de Goeje 's Glossary, s.v. d-f '.
68 i. A commander in the Byzantine army. For the derivation of Artabdn from tribunus, see de Goeje, Mdmoire, 62; and Jawiligi, Mu`arrab, ed. Sachau, r 1; see also
ed. Shikir, 74, where artabun is glossed with al-mugaddam f al-barb. Butler (Arab
Conquest, 195, 215 ) maintains that the correct reading is Aretion.
682. In addition to his role in the conquest of Palestine , `Algamah b. Mujazziz was
sent by `Umar on a naval expedition to Abyssinia, an expedition that ended in disaster. Other traditions maintain that it was the Prophet who had ordered `Algamah to
raid Abyssinia in 9/630- 1 and describe the raid as successful. See Wiqidi , Maghdzi,
III, 983 ; Ibn Sad, Tabaqdt, II/i, 117-18 ; (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Usd, IV, 14; Ibn Hajar, 1$dbah, IV5 559-61.
683. For the derivation of al-figdr from vicarius, see de Goeje, Mdmoire, 6z.
[ 2 397)
[2 39 81
[2 399)
of the army and the amir will view it in the same way. If they
do not view it so, you will allow them to return to safety and
you will be able tostart your affair.69'
Al-Arlabun said : "Agreed." He called a man, spoke to him secretly,
and said : "Go to so-and-so and send him back to me ." The man
came back, and al -Artabun said to `Amr : "Go and bring your companions.11 'Amr went away and decided not to come back . The Byzantine understood that `Amr had deceived him and said : "The man
has deceived me; he is the most cunning of creatures." Umar came
to know about it and said : 1"Amr got the better of him! How excellent is `Amr!"
`Amr moved against al-Arlabun after he came to know where he
could be attacked and what would be his end. They confronted each
other, and al-Arlabun did not have any other choice . The confrontation took place at Ajnadayn, and the two armies fought a heavy battle, like the battle of Yarmuk, in which many were killed . Arlabun
was defeated with his men and took refuge in Jerusalem , while cAmr
camped at Ajnadayn . When Arlabun came to Jerusalem, the Muslims did not stand in his way and enabled him to enter the city. Then
`Amr moved the Muslims to Ajnadayn, and `Algamah , Masruq,
Mubiammad b. cAmr, and Abu Ayyub joined `Amr at Ajnadayn.
Artabun wrote to cAmr saying: "You are my friend and opposite
number; the position you hold among your people is comparable to
my position among mine . By God, you will not conquer any part of
Palestine after Ajnadayn. Go back and do not be deceived, lest you
be defeated like those before you ." CAmr summoned a man who
spoke Greek, sent him to Arlabun, and ordered him to behave like a
stranger and to disguise himself. He instructed him: "Listen to
what he says so that you can give me the information about it when
you come back, God willing," and he wrote to Arlabun, saying: "I
have received your letter. You are my opposite number among your
people . If you were not in possession of excellent qualities, you
would not be aware of my virtues ; but you do know that I am the
697. Probably meaning that he will be able to start the battle, having exhausted all
other options.
[X40111
(240X1
man destined to conquer this land. I am seeking against you the help
of so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so (he mentioned some of Arlabun's aides); read my letter to them and let them look into what is
between me and you."
The envoy set out in accordance with `Amy's orders. He came to
Arlabun and gave him the letter in the presence of some people, and
Arlabun read the letter aloud. They laughed and wondered; then
they approached Arlabun, saying: "From what source do you know
that he is not the man destined to conquer this land? " Arlabun said:
"The name of the man destined to do it is `Umar. It is written with
three letters."698 The envoy returned to cAmr, who understood now
that the man was `Umar. He wrote to Umar, asking his help and saying: "I am conducting a difficult and fierce war and [struggling fort
a land that has been held and preserved for you. I desire your opinion." When `Amr wrote to Umar about this, Umar knew that he
was speaking out of knowledge. He summoned the people, set out
with them, and camped at al-jabiyah.699
All in all `Umar went to Syria four times. The first time he rode a
horse; the second time he rode a camel; the third time he failed to
reach Syria because the plague was raging, and the fourth time he
entered Syria on a donkey.
`Umar appointed [`Ali to govern Medina in his steadl.700 At the
time of his departure [from Medina] for the first time he wrote to the
amirs of the provinces and instructed them to meet him at al-jabiyah on a day which he specified for them. He instructed them to
come with light cavalry (mujarradah)701 and to appoint deputies to
govern their provinces. They met him where al-Jabiyah came into
view. The first man to meet him was Yazid, then Abu `Ubaydah, and
then Khalid. They were riding on horses and were clad in brocade
and silk. Umar dismounted, took stones in his hand, and pelted
them. He said: "How quickly were you turned away from your
senses! Is it me that you are coming to meet in this attire? 702 YOU
698. The name `Umar consists of three letters in the Arabic script, whereas the
name `Amr consists of four.
699. See note 487, above.
700. I have augmented Tabari's cryptic text here, in light of (`I.) Ibn al-Athir, Kamil,
II, 389, and the tradition adduced in note g to this page in the Leiden edition.
701. See note 63, above.
master of Jerusalem. By God, you will not return before God conquers Jerusalem! "704
703. For the killing of al-Dajjil in the eschatological struggle between him and the
true Messiah near the gate of Lydda, see In Mijah, Sunan, II, 1361 (Kitdb al-Titan,
bdb 36).
704. For a very different version of the prediction of the conquest of Palestine by the
Muslims, see Knfi, Futnla, 1, 296-97. For an analysis of the differences between the
two versions, see Crone, Slaves, 207-S n. 60.
Regarding `Umar's epithet al-Firuq, the Sunni Muslim tradition maintains that
`Umar was so named because he knew the distinction between truth and falsehood
(farraqa bayna al-t aqq wa al-bdtil!. See Ibn al-Jawzi, Mandgib, 1g. See also now S.
Bashear, "The Title'Firuq..`
[2404]
(2405 ]
191
you lose al-Abbas, evil will untwist you like the ends of a rope."
`Amr and Shurabbil joined `Umar in al-Jabiyah when the peace
[with the people of Palestine] was concluded. They witnessed the
writing [of the treaty].
The rest of the letters were identical to the letter of Lydda [which
follows]:
[2407]
He then sent to them [an army] and divided Palestine between two
71 r. I have omitted here the words 'aid biya'ihim wa-$ulubihim , "their churches
and crosses [will be safe["; this does not make sense in this place . Cf. de Goeje, Mdmoire, 153 n. 2.
712. The meaning of these words is not clear ; cf. de Goeje, Mdmoire, 15 3 n. 3. They
are missing in the text of the letter included in Suyuti , Ithdf, I, 233.
713. See note 4, above.
According to Abu Maryam, the client of Salamah, who said: I witnessed the conquest of Jerusalem with Umar: He set out from alJabiyah, leaving it behind until he came to Jerusalem . He then went
on and entered the mosque .714 Then he went on toward the mibrdb
714. A1-masjid refers in this context to the Tbmple Mount , in keeping with the
710. The tradition uses the word iqdmah, which signifies the second call to prayer,
pronounced in the mosque immediately before the service begins. See Ell, s.vv. "Adbin" (Th. W. Juynboll), " Ikama" (Th. W. Juynboll).
`Umar made the front part of the mosque its qiblah. Then he
stood up from his place of prayer and went to the rubbish in which
the Romans buried the temple ( bayt al-magdis) at the time of the
sons of Israel. (When he came to the Byzantines , they had uncovered
a part but left the rest [under the rubbish).) He said : "0 people, do
what I am doing ."725 He knelt in the midst of the rubbish and put it
by the handful into the lower part of his mantle .726 He heard behind
him the proclamation "God is most great !" He disliked improper
behavior 727 in any matter and said: "What is this? "The people said:
723. The tradition as it appears inTabari is not very clear and has to be understood
in light of a fuller version which can be found in Suyuli , Itbdf, I, 236-37. It reads:
"Umar said to Ka`b: 'Where do you think we should place the mosque ?' Or he said:
' ... the direction of prayer?' Ka'b said: 'Place the mosque behind the Rock, so that
the two directions of prayer-that of Moses and that of Muhammad - merge with
one another"' (fa-gala `Umar li-Ka`b: ayna tarn an nai ala al-masiida ? aw gdla: alqiblata. fa-gala: ij'alhu khalfa al-gakhrati fa-tajtami`u al-giblatani qiblatu Musd
wa-qiblatu Muhammad... ) In our version Ka`b responds to `Umar 's question about
the direction of prayer, which is not mentioned in Tabari 's text.
See additional sources for this tradition in Wasili, Fa4ld'il, 45-46 . See also Kister,
"Three Mosques," 194, for another tradition forbidding the combination of the two
directions of prayer. It has to be kept in mind , however, that Muslim tradition has also
preserved material that treats the Rock in a much more positive way; see, for instance, Wasili, Fadd'il, 67ff.
It is noteworthy that the idea of combining the qiblah of Jerusalem with that of
Mecca can be found also in the traditions describing the customs of the Prophet himself. While still in Mecca , before the hijrah, he is said to have prayed "facing Syria,
placing the Ka`bah between himself and Syria " ( wa-kdna idhd galls istaqbala alSham wa-ja'ala al Ka'bah baynahu wa-bayna al-Sham ). See Ibn Hishim, Sirat, 228
(= Guillaume, Life of Muhammad, 157-581, Maqdisi, Fadd'il, 54. For the qiblah in
general, see EP, s.v "Kibla . i" (A. J. Wensinck).
724. The front part of the mosque seems to mean here the southern part of the Temple Mount. The believers pray facing the south , with their backs toward the Rock.
725. Cf. Busse, "`Omar b. al-Khaltab," 87-88.
726. For this meaning of farj, see de Goeje 's Glossary, s.vv far!, birka. Al-Wlsiti
( Fadd'il, 78) has mala'a asfala thawbihi min al -mazbalah.
727. The impropriety seems to lie in proclaiming God's greatness while dealing
with rubbish.
[24091
[z4ro]
( 2 411 ]
Many a beast of burden that had been unable to carry its load,
[now] carried a burden while being well into pregnancy. 743
Ziyad b. Han;alah also recited:
When `Umar received the letters, 744 he rose
like a proud, young chieftain defending the property of the tribe.
The land of Syria was bursting with people,
desiring the most courageous of men.
When he received (the information) that he received, he responded
with an army to which dissensions bowed their heads.745
Spacious Syria brought what
Abu Hafg746 wanted, and even more.
He allotted among them the poll tax,
and every pleasant and commendable gift.
The Introduction of the Pay System (cata')747
and of the Military Register (diwan)74e
In this year `Umar assigned payments to the Muslims and established the [military) registers . He determined the payments accordtreasures can be found in the chapters of Muslim tradition dealing with the miraculous events expected to occur immediately before the Day of Judgment: "Earth will
throw up oblong pieces of gold and silver, having the size of a column " (tagfu al-ard
aflddha kabidihd amthdl al-usiuwdn min al-dhahab wa al-fiddahj. See Muslim,
$a13i1a, A, 701 (Kitdb al-zakdt, bdb r8: 62 ) ; Tinnidhi, Sunan , IV, 362 (Kitdb al-Titan,
bdb 36: 2209). See also Ibn Man;d; Lisdn al-`Arab, s.v, th-q-1, where aflddh kabidihd is glossed by kunuz. Although one should not read too much into this similarity,
it is an indication of the tremendous impression that the newly acquired wealth made
on the early Muslims.
741. For this meaning of ma'kal, p1. ma'dkil, see Jawhari, Tdj al-lughah, III, 1365,
who glosses makal by kasb.
742. I am translating according to de Goeje 's suggestion in Glossary, s.v qarmal:
thabathd instead of banathd.
743. The translation of this verse is tentative and uncertain.
744. Probably meaning letters that bear the news of victory.
745. While de Goeje's suggestion in Glossary (s.v. sh-b-k), on which my translation
is based, is not very convincing, I am at present not able to provide a better one.
746. This is `Umar's kunyah; cf. Ibn al-Jawzi, Mandgib, 9.
747. See El', s.v. 1"Ala" (Cl. Cahen).
748. See Elz, s.v "Diwan i " (A. A. Durij.
zoo.
[z4rz]
ing to seniority [ in Islam).149 He gave to $afwan b. Umayyah,750 alHarith b. Hisham,751 and Suhayl b. `Amr752 with the people of the
conquest (ahl al-fath)753 less than what those who had preceded
them received. They refused to accept it, saying: "We do not acknowledge that anybody is more noble than we are." `Umar replied:
"I have given to you according to your seniority in Islam, not according to your ancestral nobility." They said: "It is all right, then," and
they accepted the payment. Al-Harith and Suhayl left for Syria with
their families and continued to wage jihad until they were killed in
one of the frontier points there ; but according to another tradition,
they died in the plague of `Amwas.754
749 Meaning that the payments were determined according to the date on which
the person in question embraced the new religion : Those who joined Islam at the earliest date received the largest amount.
750. $afwan b . Umayyah was a prominent member of Quraysh. His father was
killed in the battle of Badr, fighting on the side of the Meccans. $afwan also fought in
skirmishes against the Muslims and embraced Islam only after the conquest of
Mecca . He was given a share in the spoils of the battle of Hunayn and became one of
the mu'allafah qu]dbuhum " those whose hearts have been reconciled" (i.e., to Islam, by means of gifts ). According to some traditions, $afwan participated in the battle of Yanmuk , according to others, there is no evidence that he ever took part in any
battle on the side of the Muslims . He died in Shawwa136 / March-April 657 ( or in 41 /
661-62, or 42 / 662-63 ). See Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqdt, V, 33z and index ; (`l.) Ibn al-Athir,
Usd, 111, 22-23; Ibn Hajar, Isdbah, 111, 432 - 34; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, IV, 424-25.
751. Al-Harith b. Hishim was a prominent member of the Qurashi clan of Makhzfim. He fought against the Muslims in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He embraced
Islam after the conquest of Mecca, participated in the battle of Hunayn, and received
a share in the spoils. Later he took part in the battles of Fihl and Ajnadayn against the
Byzantines. According to some traditions, he was killed in the battle of Yarmiik; according to others, he died in the plague of `Amwas in 18/639-40. See Ibn Sa'd, Tabagat. V, 329; VII/ii, 126; (`I.) Ibn al -Athir, Usd, 1, 351- 52; Ibn Hajar, 4abah,1, 605 8 no. 15o6; Ibn I;Iajar, Tahdhib, 11, ,61-6z.
752. Suhayl b. `Amr was a leading member of Quraysh. He fought against the Muslims in the battle of Badr, was taken prisoner, and was ransomed by his tribe. He was
the person who negotiated the treaty of Hudaybiyyah with the Prophet. After the conquest of Mecca he switched sides ; he took part in the battle of Hunayn on the side of
the Prophet, though he was still a polytheist . He embraced Islam after this battle and
became one of the mu'allafah quldbuhum. After the Prophet's death he urged Quraysh to embrxe Islam . Despite his late conversion , he became a pious and devout
Muslim; he fought against the Byzantines in Syria and died in the plague of `Amwas
or in the battle of Yarmuk). See Ibn Sa`d, Tabagdt, V, 335 and index; (`I.) Ibn al -Athir,
Usd,11, 371-73; Ibn Hajar, Isabah, III, 212-1 .5 no. 3575; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, IV,
264-5.
753 Those who embraced Islam only after the conquest of Mecca in 8/630 and did
not join the Prophet in the earliest and most difficult period of his activity.
754 A notorious plague that struck Syria and Palestine in the year 18/639 - 40. See
EP, s .v. "`Amwas " (J. Sourdel -Thomine); Baladhuri , Futdh, 139; Donner, Conquests,
152.
Umar allotted to those (who embraced Islam and joined the Muslim army) after al-Qadisiyyah and al-Yarmuk760 one thousand (dirhams] each. Then he allotted to the second group of latecomers761
755. See note 4, above.
76 1. Rawadif sg. radifah . Fora discussion of this concept, see Donne; Conquests,
231H.
[2413)
203
773. Cf. Baladhuri, Futa13, 451, where the 4,000 dirhams are divided as follows: for
traveling, for weapons, for the family, and for the horse and the shoes.
[2414]
[2415]
threw into your mouth. May God protect me from its wickedness! It
would be a temptation to those who will come after me. Nay, I shall
prepare for them74 what God and His Messenger have commanded
us [to prepare ]: obedience to God and to His Messenger. These are
our provisions, and by virtue of these we attained to what you see. If
this money is the price of your religion, you will perish.."7S
According to al-Sari - Shucayb - Sayf - Muhammad, al-Muhallab, Talhah, cAmr, and Said: When God granted victory to the Muslims, Rustam was killed , and the news of the victory in Syria
reached Umar, he assembled the Muslims and said : "How much of
this property can the leader legally keep? " All of them said:
As for his private needs, his livelihood, and the livelihood of
his family, neither more nor less ; their garments and his garments for the winter and the summer; two riding beasts for
his jihdd, for attending to his needs, and for carrying him to
his pilgrimage ( bajj) and to his cumrah . Equitable distribution means giving to the valiant people according to their
bravery. He will put the people 's affairs right, and he will
take care of the people at the time of misfortunes and calamities, until these are over. He will deal with those entitled to the immovable booty76 first.
[2416]
According to al-Sari -Shu`ayb-Sayf-Muhammad-`Ubaydallah b. Umar: When `Umar received the news about the conquest of
al-Qadisiyyah and Damascus, he assembled the people in Medina
and said : "I was formerly a merchant , and God provided sufficiently
for my family by means of my commerce. Now you have made me
preoccupied with your affair. What do you think, how much of this
property can I legally keep ? " The people suggested a large amount,
while `Ali (b. AbiTalib) remained silent. `Umar said: "What do you
say, 0 `All? ", and `Ali replied, "[You can have) what will keep you
and your family in a moderately good condition,"' but you have no
right to this property beyond that." The people said: "The [right]
words are the words of Ibn Abi Talib."
774. Meaning his successors in the leadership of the community.
775. If your religion is so weak that it depends on leaving this money in the treasury, you will perish.
776. Ahl al-fay' , meaning the warriors who seized enemy property in battle.
777. Cf. Tabari, 1, 2142-43 , where Abu Bakr 's income is discussed in similar
terms.
[24171
[24181
According to al-Sari-Shu`ayb-Sayf-`Atiyyah-his companions and al-I)ahhak - Ibn `Abbas: When al-Qadisiyyah was conquered and certain people of the sawi d entered into peace agreements, and when Damascus was conquered and the people of
Damascus entered into peace agreements, Umar said to the Muslims: "Assemble and let me know your views on the spoils which
God has restored to those who fought in al-Qadisiyyah and in Syria."
`Umar and `Ali agreed to follow the Qur'an and said: "'Whatever
God has given to His Messenger from the people of the cities' (meaning the fifth) 'belongs to God and His Messenger'... li-Alldhi wali-al-rasnli means ila Allahi wa-ila al-rasuli; this means that
God commands and the messenger is obliged to divide [the spoils]
' ... and to the near kinsman, the orphans, the needy [and the traveler, so that it may not be a thing taken in turns among the rich of
you ... ]' "784 Then they interpreted this in the light of the verse that
follows: "It is for the poor Emigrants [who were expelled from their
habitations and their possessions, seeking bounty from God and
good pleasure] .11785 They took the four-fifths [and divided them] in
783. Meaning the Prophet and Abu Bakr, the first caliph.
784. Qur'an 59:7.
785. For interpretations of these verses , see Tabari, Tafsir, XXVIII, 25.
207
the same way as the fifth had been divided among those who received it in the first three divisions . The four-fifths belong to those
to whom God gave the spoils . They found proof of this in the verse
"Know that, whatever booty you take, the fifth of it is God's and the
messenger's."786 The [four] fifths were divided according to this.
`Umar and `All agreed upon this and the Muslims after them implemented it [as well]. cUmar began with the Emigrants, then with the
Helpers, then with those who followed them, and with those who
participated with them in battles and helped them.
`Umar then allotted the stipends from the poll tax which was imposed on those who entered [willingly] into peace agreements or
were called upon to do so. The poll tax was restored to the Muslims
in moderate sums . The poll tax is not to be divided into fifths. It belongs to those who protect the ahl al-dhimmah , fulfill the obligations toward them, and to those who join them and assist them, unless they willingly share the surplus (of the poll tax ] with others who
were not eligible to receive from it what they themselves had
received.
Al-Tabari has said: In this year, meaning the year r 51636 - 3 ',
there were battles according to the report of Sayf b. `Umar . According to the report of Ibn Ishaq, this was in the year r6. We have already
mentioned the account of this on his authority. The report of al-Wagidi is the same.
786. Qur'an 8:42.
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al-Ghundijini, Muhammad al -A`ribi, Kitdb asma' khayl al-`arab wa-ansdbihd wa f ursdniha. Edited by M. A. Sullalu . Damascus, n.d.
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Goldziher, I., Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law. Translated by
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Hitti, P. K., Origins of the Islamic State. New York, 1916.
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215
e
Index
41
Included are names of persons, groups, and places, as well as Arabic terms
that recur often in the text or are discussed in the footnotes. An asterisk ()
indicates a figure who is mentioned in the text only as a transmitter. Entries that are mentioned in both text and footnotes on the same page are
listed by page number only. Finally, the Arabic definite article al-, the abbreviation b. (for ibn), and all material in parentheses have been disregarded in the alphabetizing of entries.
Abbasid xxi
`Abbud 74
`Abd al-Malik b. Abi Sulaytnan' 158,
159
Index
2.18
`Abdallah b. Shubrumah* r z6
`Abdallih b. Sinin b . Jarir al-Asadi al$aydawi 135
`Abdallih b. Sufyin b. `Abd al -Asad 134
`Abdallih b . `Umar' 74
`Abdallih b. Zayd 4 i
`Abdallih b. al-Zubayr Iz n. 38, 133
`Abis al-Ju`fi' I zz
abnd', abna' al-alarar 139 n. 470
A-B-N-Y 184
Abode of Peace 3 8
Abode of Permanence 164 n. 575
`Abs 87 n. 295, 130
Abu `Amir ( kunyah of al-Nu`min b.
Qabi$ah)136
Abu `Amr' 19, 56
Abu `Amr ( kunya of Jarir b. `Abdallih)
19, 56, 141, 145
Abu `Awanah' 31
Abu al-A'war 185
Abu'Ayyub al-Miliki al-Angiri 186,
187
Index
a-ghayratan wa-jubnan? 96 n. 327
Aghwath. See Day of Aghwath
ahl al-ar 192
ahl al-ra'y 4
ahl al-riddah 116, 18, n . 667, 201
ahl al-sawdd 24, 44
ahl al-wabar 170
Ahsi' 14 n. S3
Ahwad 131
al-Ahwaz 4z n. 174, 166
`A'ishah 46, 202
al-Ajlab' 119
Ajnidayn xvii, 183, 185, 186, 187, 189,
193, zoo n. 751
`ajuz, p1. a'jdz 6 n. 14
akhadhahu bi- 175 n. 6;z
al-'Ali' b . al-Hadram-t 166,172
al-`Ali' b. Ziyad lot, 101
'alaniyyah 9
Aleppo 178
`Ali b. Abi Tilib 4, 5, 6, 13, 15 5, 16 t,
179 n . 657, 181 n . 667, 188, 19o,
201, 202 n . 765, 204, 205, 206, 207
Alma` to
219
Anas b. al-`Abbas 97
Anas b. Hujayyah al-Yashkuri 169
anmdt 66
Angir. See Helpers
Antioch 132,182
Index
220
`anwah 156
apostates i16
`Agabah 147 n. 498
agama `ala 36 n. 147
`aq`aq 47, 48 n. 189
Agsam 95
Aquarius 62
al-`crab a1-`aribah 132 n. 438
al-`arab al-musta`ribah 13 2 n. 43 8
al-Arabi 126 n. 419
Arabs xiii, xvi, XVII, 3, 4, 7, 11 , I2, 15,
19, 20, 21, 36 , 37, 39, 40, 42, 43,
45-49, 51-53 , 65, 66, 69-71, 74,
77, 78, 80, 84, 86-88 , 94, 117, 12 1,
132, 137, 138, 163 n. 570 , 175, 178,
185, 189, 190, 202
Ardashir 14 3, 64
Aretion 183 n. 681
a$hdb al-raydt 18
`Ashannag113
a'shdr 119
`Ashuri' xviii n. 42
`a$idah 49
'Agim b. `Amt al-Tamimi al-`Amri 18,
28, 31 , 39, 54 , 61# 83 , 84, 86 , 88, 91,
94-96, 99,109,113,1171 131
Aslam' 205
al-A$ma`i io8 n. 373
astrology xvii , 46, 47 , 48, 62, 73
a$u1 21 n. 91
Azidbih 26
Azidmard b. al-Azidbih 19, 26 , 41, 44,
49
al-Azd 163
al-Azhari 3 n. 3, 2I n. 90, 45 n. 181
Index
B
al-Bab 46
221
94, 98
al-Balarayn 14 n. 52, 166 n . 589, 172
Bahurasir 142
al-Baghdidi 91 n. 312
Bshan134
al-Bahr 131
bat at al-ri4wan 21
al-Baydawi 149 n. 504
al-Bayruzan 45, 67, 81,95, 98, 100, 123
Baysan 174 n. 622, 183, 186 n. 692
bayt al-md1138 n. 463
bayt al-magdis 196 n. 728
Bizigiyi 144 n. 486
Bedouins 162
Benjamin 19o
Bet Shan. See Baysin
bi-pdye 130, 140
Bijad Iz2
Barmakan' Iz8
Bashir b. al-Kha$agiyyah 14
Index
222
C
Caesarea xvii, 183 -86, 193
camphor 3 2
Caspian Sea 46 n. 183
China 168
Christians 3z, 127, 136, 158, zoz
churches 191, 19z
D
Qabbah, Banu Io8
dabur I z3 n. 411
da'da'ah zi n. 9o
Didhawayhi al-Istakhri 161
dahdgin z7,71
al-Qahhik' zo6
al-da j jdl ,8z n. 672, 189 n. 703, 190
Qakhm I13
Damascus 97, 110, 132, 144 n. 487,
174, 177, 189, 203 , 204, zo6
al-Damiri 48 n. 189
Dar al-Fil 16o
ddral-hijrah 143
Darband 46 n. 18 3
Darts x66
dasdkir 163
Dast-i Maysin 169, 170
David 194
da`wah 83 n. z83
Diwud b. Abi Hind' 169
Day of Aghwith 96, 97, 100, 102, 103,
107
Day of Armith 81, 95 , 96, 100, Io6, 107
Day of Atonement xviii
Day of `Imis Io6, I io, I 12, 1 z2
Day of judgment 12. n. 3 5, 29 n. I 18,
141, 145 , 164 n . 574, 182. n. 672,
199 n. 740
duk duk 31
Dumat al-Jandal 156,157
Durayd b. Ka'b al -Nakha'i 119
Qurays 198
Index
E
"ears" (of a military formation) I 18
Edessa 175 n. 631
Egypt 183 n . 677, 197, 203
223
Furit Siryi 53
furdat al-Babrayn ... r6 n. 57
futtak 1198 n. 737
Gabriel 9 n. 27
xvii
al-Farrukhin al-Ahwazi 13 2
farsakh 57
al -Firuq 189, 196, 198
YYum 4 I
l"ah 20 n. 88
fifth of the booty). See khums
Fihl 174, 183, 200 n. 751
al-Figir 183, 184
al-Firid 41
Fire 32, 79, 164
fire temples 155
al-Furit 163, 164, 169, 170
Furit b. Hayyin al-`Ijli 14, 30
Furit Bidagli 47
al-had'ah 103
laadith 5 n. 8, 38 n. t56
Hadramawt to
Hafsah bint `Umar ZoS, 2o6
bajafah z 12 n. 381
Hajar 17, 202
Hajib b. Zayd 107,108
1aajj 172, 204, 205
al-Hajjij (b. Ynsuf) 28, 29, 169
Hajjaj a1 -$awwif' 158
al-Hakam' 811
Hallim* 95,89
Hamalah b. Juwayyah al Kinani 3o
Hamdin 150
Index
2z4
Hammil b. Malik al- Asadi 18, 93, 99,
113, 114P 119, 145
hudud 9 n. 26
Hudiid z3
Humayd b. Abi Shajjir 117
Humaydah 122
Humaydah b. al-Nu`man b. Humaydah
al-Birigi 10, 54
Hunaydah (wife of al -Qa`gi` b. `Amr)
147
al-bur al-`in I zo n. 400
Hurmuz 91
al-Hurmuzin 45, 53, 6z, 83, 95, 123,
131
Index
I
a1-`Ibid 117, 2.01
`ibddi 32
Ibn Khurradidhbih 21 n. 92
Ibn Mijah 9 n. 26 , 49 n. 19x , i81 n. 672
Ibn Malik (Abi al-Hayyij al-Asadi) r 51
the Masud 16o
Ibn Mikhriq * 103, Io6
Ibn Mubirak 9 n. z6, i % n. 35
225
ir`awa 4 n. 6
`irq al-nasd' 83
`ISa b. Yazid* 166
iedd 173 n. 620
al-Igfahini 37 n. 151, 95 n. 322
`ISmah al-Qabbi 129
`I$mah al-Wibili Ito
Ismail (b. Abi Khilid?)' 203
Ismail b. Abi Khilid' 30, 6z, 92,140
Ismail b. Mubaminad b. Sa`d' i I,
Ismi`il b. Muslim* 156
Index
226
Israel, sons of 196
istdqa 54 n. 211
lstimiya 54
142,180
J
al-Jabal 15 9
Jabalah b. al-Ayham al-Ghassini 132
Jabin 47-49
Jabbanah 16
Jibir (b. Yazid al-Ju`fi)' 159
Jibir al-Asadi 54
al-Jibiyah 144,188 - 91,193 ,194,197
Jahiliyyah xvi, 37n. 150, 55 n. 212, Io6,
116, 128, 16o n. 547
a1-Jahi; 48 n. 189
Jakhdab b. Jar`ab' 110
jalhd' 196 n. 731
jand'ib 34
Janb i i
janub 123 n. 411
Jarajah 132
jarib 177
jaribah 203
jaridah 17 n. 63
jari da t al -kha yl 17 n. 6 3
Jarir 15
Jarir b. `Abdall ah al-Bajali 14 -16, 84,
138, 141, 142, 145, 151 n. 515, 160
Jariyah 178
Jarwal b. Aws al-Hutay'ah 87
al-Jawiligi 49 n. 192 , 117 n. 391, 183
n. 681
al-Jawhari 3 n. 3, 15 n. 55, 199 n. 741
Jayhun 156 n. 535
jayydshah roe n. 349
Jaz' I I
Jaz' b. Mu`iwiyah b. al-Husayn 42
al-Jazirah 41 n. r62, 179 n . 657, 180
K
Ka`b al-Ahbir 194, 195, 196
Ka`bah 195
katibah 122
Khabbib b. al-Aratt rho
Khabur 179 n. 656
Index
a1-Kha{jir Io5
Khaffan 63, log
khafir 135 n. 456
Khalid* 183, 190, 191, 193
Khalid b. Muljam 13
Khalid b. `Ulnayr 163
Khilid b. `Urfu;ah 18, 83-85 , 91,125,
138,142
Khilid b. al-Walid xviii, xix, 13, 42, 56
n. 215 , 97, 146 , 151 n. 515, 157,
158 n. 541, ,66, 174, 175, 177-79,
180,183,188,192
227
41 n. 170, Si n. zoo, 62, 63, 109
n. 374 , 131, 141 n . 474, 143, 144,
159, ,6o n. 547, 161, 165, 172, 173,
178, 179 , 179 n . 657, 18o n. 663,
192,203
118
khamis t6 n. 61
khamr 197 n. 734
khandfls 37
Kininah, Bane 95
Kindah 11, 93, 94, 120, 122, 144, 158
n. 541, 183 n. 677
Kings of al-Bab 91
kingship 165 n. 578
Kisra 5 n.12 , 7, 82, 95 , 135, 148, 155
al-Kufah 12 n. 37,13 nn. 46 and 47,14
n. 52, 18, 20 n. 86, 3o n. 125, 33,
L
la hawla wu la quwwata illd bi-Alldh
90, 184
M
and ward'aka 59 n. 227
Ma`add 87
ma`arrat al-juyush 161 n. 557
Ma`bad b. Murrah al -`Ijli 65
al-Madi'in xvi, 17 n. 67, 23, z4, 29
n.122, 30,33,39, 46,52,83,97
Index
228
n. 330, 115, 142, 144, 152, 158,
161, 162, i65, 203
Maysin 28,170
Mazin b . Mangur, Band 165
"meat battles." See ayydm al-lahm
Mecca xviii, 18 n. 71 , 21, 9711. 330, 99,
120 n. 400, rho nn. 547 and 549,
183 n. 677, 195 n. 723, 200 nn.
750-52,101
Medina 4 - 6,10,11 , 13, 14, r 8, 19 n. 79,
99, 135 1 150, 16o n. 549 ,161,177
n. 644, 184 n . 685, 186 n. 694, 188,
190, 204
Index
al-Mughirah b. Zurarah b. al-Nabbash
b. Habib al-Usaydi 30, 37, 38, 39
muhajirat al-fatty 133
muhdjirdn. See Emigrants
al-Muhallab (b. `Ugbah al -Asadi) 131,
146, 149, 15o, 165 , 203, 164Muhammad (the Prophet ) xxi, 4, 8,14
n. 52,16 , 17, ign- 79,27n . 110, 31
n. 126 , 38 n. 152 , 52, 64, 75, 79, 88,
99, rot n . 346, 107 n. 370, 131,
137,148, 156,157,158n. 541, 16o
n. 549, 161 n. 555, 164 , 166n. 589,
167,173 n. 617, 177 n. 644, 179
n. 657, 181 n. 667, 183 nn. 677
and 68z, 186 n. 694, 192, 195,
197 n . 734, 202, 205
Muhammad (b. `Abdallah b . Sawid b.
Nuwayrah )' 11,13, 14, 42,46,49,
52, 53, 61, 65, 74 , 76, 79, 81, 82, 84,
86, 89, 90, 92, 93, 96, 99, 103, 106,
108,113,115,121, 125, t'7,131,
146, 149, 150, 166, 203-5
2.29
al-Mustanir b. Yazid*
203
al-Mustawrid 42
mu jdradah 100 n. 344
al-Muthanni b. Hirithah al-Shaybani 7,
13, 14, 19, 20, 96,13z, 138,146,
,66,179
Index
230
Muzaynah, Bann 3o n. 123
Muklim Sibit 142
N
al-Na`d'im 47, 62
nabidh 197 n. 734
Nadhir b. `Amr 28,150
al-Nadr b. Ishiq al-Sulami 165
al-Na4r b. al-Sari al-Qabbi* 45, 47, 49,
52, 63, 73, 77, 86, 117, 120, 121,
Noah 48 n. 189
Nu'aym b. `Amr b. `Attib 99
al-Nu`min b. Imri' al-Qays 24 n. 97
al-Nu`min b. Mundhir Abu Qibus 20
al-Nu`min b . Mugarrin 30, 34, 3 5
al-Nu`min b . Qabigah 13 5, 136
numruq, p1. namdriq 66
nu. irtu bi-al-. abd ... 123 n. 411
126, 149
nafar 19 n. 77
Nifi" 74, 81, 205
Nifi` b. al-Hirith 168, 169, 172
Nahd, Banu 91
Nahr al- Mar'ah 166
Nahr Ziyid 41
al-Nahrayn 41, 54
al-Najaf 24 n. 97, 49, 51 - 53, 56 , 57, 60,
86,126
omithomancy 48 n. 189
Oxus 156 n. 535
P
Pddishahdn-i marandar 86
Palestine xvii , 183 n. 68z, 187, 190-92,
203
pallida 49 n. 192
Persian Gulf 16 n. 57
pilgrimage. See hail
Pisces 47, 62
Pledge of Good Pleasure zi
poll tax xvi, xix, 32, 36, 40, 69, 74, 75
n. z67,154,156- 58, 16on. 553,
167, 189 , 191, 192 , 199, 207
Index
prophecy 165 n. 578
Psalms 84
Q
Qabi$ah b. lyas b. Hayyah al-'j'ai 135
Qabisah b. Jibir 145
al-Qa`gi` ( b. Al-Salt) 25
al-Qi'gi` b. `Amr al- Thmimi 97,98100, 102, 108-10, 113-15,117,
120-23 , 125,127,13]E, 132, 145,
147
Qirin 131
2 31
qulb 128
Qur'an 9 n. 26, 38 n . 156, 8o, 149
z:I;2
88 n. poi
2:250
121 n. 401,175 n. 633
3:133
88 n. ;oz
3:139 85 n. 29o
29 n.I18
3:161
3:164 79 n. 273
3:169
4:4
4:24
5:7
6:127
6:137
6:140
6:151
7:17
7:126
8
8:41
8:42
8:46
8:58
9:6
9:29
13:18
16:58-59
17:I
17:33
107 n. 370
202 n. 767
158 n. 544
8n. 24
;8n.155
37 n. 137
37 n. 137
37n.137
164 n. 577
121 n . 402, 175 n. 633
89 n. 305
27 n. Io9, 156 n. 537
207
25 n. 46
154 n. S z5
154 n. 525
73 n. 262, 75 n. 267
73 n. 257
37n- 137
Index
13218:47
18:56
152 n. 520
149 n. 504
21:105
84 n. 288
88 n. 300
24:30
28:30 38n. 153
38 n. 154
28:88
153 n. 524, 161 n. 563
3341
38 194 n.721
38:21 - 25 194 n. 716
72 n. 257
39:62
16411. 575
4039
42:38
5n9
85 n. 290
4735
28 n. 113
48:16
51:41 123 n.411
59:7 206 n. 784
75:2.6 117 n. 390
181, 182
rukh$ah 153
rumb ma`llib 66 n. 248
Rustam b. Farrukhzid al-Armani xiv,
xv, xvi, xvii , 29-33, 350. 144, 39,
40, 43-54, 57, 58, 6o-65, 66
n. 249, 67-71, 73-78, 81-83, 86,
951101, 103, 121, 123-26, 130,
134-38,140,143,150, 204
rd'id 19 n. 8o
ra'y jog n. 375
Rabic b. al-Baled al -Sa'di 88
Rabl'ah 13, 15 , 93, 97, 113
Rabi'ah b. Kaladah b. Abi al- Salt alThaqafi 169
rak'ah 194
rakiba aksd'ahum 175 n. 629
ru'iis al-gabd'il 18
S
Sabi 196
Sibit 29, 30,33 n. 135, 40, 44-46, 49,
52, 83
Sabat Kisra 142 n. 479
$abbah b. Shutayr 177
Sabur (Shahpur b. Hurmuz dhu alaktdf) 23 n. 95, 39, 6z
Sa`d (tribal section of Tamim) 42
Sa'd b. Abi Waggag xix, xxi, 6-8, 10,
11-17, 19-22, 24-27,28-31,33,
39, 41, 42, 44-46, 48, 49, 51, 52,
54-61,62,63,65,69,76,$1,83,
Index
84-87, 89, 90, 93, 94, 96, Io3,
,o5, 106 , 107 n . 370,113-18,
T20-22, 12-5-29, 132# 135, 136,
138, 139, 141, 142 - 46,149,1159,
16z,164 , 172,173,178
Sa`d b. VW 149
Sa`d b . `Umaylah al-Fizari (Fazari?)126,
149
al-$adif to
safe-conduct z5
$afiyyah bint al-Harith b. ICaladah 171
$afiyyah bins Huyayy b. Akhlab 202 n.
767
Sajali 3 X n. 126
sakinah 9o
Sakun r 2, 13 nn. 41 and 43, 177
Salamah 193
Salamah (b. al-Fa4l )* 133, 1138, 139, 140,
171, 193
Silib b. Kaysan 5
al-$alt b. Bahrim 46
$aldba, Band z9 n . 121, 44
San`e' 147
sdnada 42 n. 173
233
Sarit (canal) 33
al-Sarib. Yabya* 3,5-8,10 - 15,19,25,
30, 33-35, 42,45-47, 49, 51-54,
56, 6o, 6x-63,65, 70, 73-77, 79,
81-83 , 86, 89 , 90, 92, 93, 95, 96,
98-103 , Io6, ro8, 110-22, 124,
126-2.8 , 145, 146, 149, 150, 156,
157, 159, 162, 203-6
Sha`bin 169
al-Sha`bi* (`Arnirb. Sharibil) 15, 33,
35, S x, 62,89, 98, 110, III, 114,
122,128 -31, 156, 157, 159, 162,
167, 169, 203
Index
234
Shabr b. `Algamah 1 12,113
Shaddad b. Qam`aj Io
shahid, p1. shuhada'. See martyrdom
Shahpur b. Hurmuz. See Shbur
Shahrbaraz Sijistan 103
Shahriyar b. Kanara 131
shakiri 53
Shammikh z6, 87
Shanas al-Rumi 174, 175
Shaqiq' 75, 93, x26,130
Sharaf 14, 16,17,19-22,25, 135
sharafa 59 n. zz6
Sharik b. `Abdallah al-Nakha'i 157
n. 538
Shayban, Banu 193
Sheodore 174
Sheva 196 n. 732
Shibl b. Ma'bad al-Bajali 169, 171
Shill 41
Shimsha1181, 182
Shirzid b. Azidbih z7
Shu`ayb b. Ibrahim' ;, 5 - 8, 10,
II-15 ,19,25,30,33-35,42,45
T
ta'awwalu `alayya 196 n. 730
al-Tabari xiii, xiv, xv, xvii, xviii, xix, xx,
xxi, I z n. 40, 14 n . 50, 15 nn. 5 5
and 56 , 16 n. 57, 18 nn . 76 and 77,
19 n. 84 , 24 n. 99, 28 n. 112, 2.9 nn.
118 and 121; 33 n . 138, 34 n. 141,
38 n. 152 , 39 n. 158 ,4o n. 160, 41
n. 162, 45 n. 182, 47 n. 184, 48 n.
190, 51 n. 201, 53 n . 206, 56 n. 113,
58 n. 223 , 68 n. 2.52 , 75 n. 267, 96
n. 32.8, 98 nn . 334 and 335, 99 n.
338, 105 n . 367, 115, 117 n. 390,
123 n. 411 , 128 n . 425, 132., 140,
143 n. 484, 149 n . 504, 151 n. 515,
156 nn . 534 and 537, 157 n. 538,
Index
158 nn. 541-44, 161, ,62 nn.
559-62, 170, 171, 173, 175, 179
nn. 652 - 55 and 657, 18o nn. 66;
and 664, 186 n. 695, 188 n. 700,
191 n. 710, 195 n. 723, 203, 204 n.
777, 207
tabdshir I I
ta`biyah 16 it. 61
Tabnk 157
al-Tadhariq x86, 190
Taff 43, 57, 58
Tbghlib, Band 41,180
Ti'if 168 n. 6o2, 173 n. 617
takattaba 131
Takrit 17 n. 67, 162
Tallish (b. a1-A`1am al-Hanafi (' ;, 11,
13, 15, 33, 34, 42, 46, 49, 53,61j 63,
65, 76, 78, 81, 82, 84, 86, 89, 90, 92,
93, 96, 99, 103, 106, I o8, 113, 115,
122,12-5t 127, 131 , 146,149, 150,
235
Old' 1197
al-Tirmidhi 199 n. 740
tribunus 183 n. 681
line Cross 19 i n. 709
Ti dhari 175 n. 627
Thkharistin 65 n. 243
Tulayliah b. Khuwaylid al-Asadi alFaq`asi 54-57, 57 nn . 222 and 223,
58-61 , 86,93,99,115 - 17,119
Turk al-Tabari 122
U
`Ubadah (b. Nasi(' 182, 183, 190, 191,
193
205
Tamim, Band 13, 31 n. 126, 42, 57, 87
n. 296 , 94, 97 n. 330, 100, 114, 120,
148, 16o n. S47,163, 181 n. 667
171, 2-04
`Udhayb al-Qawadis 21
Ukaydir b. `Abd al-Malik 157,115 8, 175
Tayzanibid 6o, 61
`Ukkishah b. Mihyan 57
Index
236
Umayyah b. Khilid 31
Umm Hakim hint al-Hirith b. Hishim
I 33
Y
Yahyi b. Sa'id' 203
`Utaybah 14
yawm al-laitan 41
yawm al-katd'ib 103
V
Veh-Ardashir 3o n. I22
Venus 47, 62
Index
Yubannah b. Ru'bah 158
Ynnus b . Abi Isbiq 130
Z
Zabra' 139, 144
al-Zabugah 163
Zid b. Buhaysh 53, 62, 131
Zihir 28
;dhir al-Kiifah 5on.197
;ahr 62 n. 237
Zakariyyi' (b. Abi Zi'idah)' 9o
zakdt 138
Zar id I2-15, 19
Zayd, Bann 99
Ziyid ( b. Sirjis al-Abmari)* 13-15,46,
49, 53, 61, 63 , 65, 76, 79, 81 , 82, 84,
86, 89 , 90, 92, 93, 99, 103, I06, 108,
113,115 , 122,125 * 127,150,203
237